It seems as if everyone dreads high winter energy bills, Holyoke Gas & Electric has a solution that makes heating costs easier to manage. HG&E's Budget Program divides your bills into twelve monthly payments, thereby making household budgeting simple. Each year, the enrollment period takes place in late spring. Applications for the 2025-26 budget program were due by June 1, 2025.
The estimated cost is determined from previous utility bills or is calculated by our engineers. The estimated cost is then divided into 12 equal monthly payments, to start with your June billing. Your budget payment will then be reviewed after the January billing and will be automatically adjusted if necessary.
The Budget Program is available to all HG&E customers at no additional cost. Please note, your account must have a $0 balance and your location must have one year of billing history to enroll in the program. Please contact us if you have any questions!
NEW SYSTEM NOTICE FOR CURRENT BUDGET CUSTOMERS
For customers currently enrolled in the budget program, we want to take a moment to explain how this program functions within our new system.
The budget amount on your bill is designed to help even out seasonal fluctuations and make your monthly payments more predictable. It is treated as a true budget, meaning your billed amount remains consistent each month. If you decide to pay less than the budget amount for two consecutive months, the new system will remove you from the budget program.
If your account shows a credit balance (for example, if you’ve paid more than your actual usage for the year), that credit will not reduce your next month’s budget amount. Instead, it will be applied toward your actual account balance and will be reflected during your next annual budget review or when you come off the budget plan.
If you choose to discontinue the Budget Billing Program, any remaining credit will remain on your account and continue to offset future bills. You may continue making regular payments at your own pace, essentially creating your own “budget” to spread out costs if you wish.
We hope this helps clarify how the budget program works and how credits are applied under the new system. If you have any questions or would like to review your account, please contact us.