NStar Electricity Rates To Rise 29 Percent

NStar is asking state regulators to approve an electricity rate hike that could cost residential customers an extra $28 a month on average.

The utility company, which serves more than a million customers in Massachusetts, is asking the state to approve a 29 percent rate increase as of Jan. 1.

NStar spokesman Mike Durand says demand is straining existing pipelines that carry natural gas to electricity generators.

"There is not enough capacity in the line to get to the amount of natural gas that generators need to produce electricity, so they're forced in some cases to rely on more expensive fuels," Durand said.

Natural gas is abundant and inexpensive, Durand says, adding that it is merely a supply issue.

National Grid, the state's other major electric supplier, increased its electricity rates by 37 percent on Nov. 1.