Beware the door-to-door promise of cheap electricity

Also: A MetroWest city's school bus strike; listen to Mayor Wu's BSO piano solo [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 8, 2023 🌤️ Partly cloudy, with a high near 73. Good Morning Boston, Has someone ever knocked on your front door and offered a chance to save on your electric bill? It was probably a competitive electric supplier salesperson. And if the deal sounded too good to be true, that's because it was. As WBUR's Miriam Wasser [reports in the first installment of a three-part series on the competitive electric supply market]( what started in the 1990s as an attempt to introduce lower prices into the utility sector through competition has largely led to the opposite. The state attorney general's office has found that these third-party companies deceptively offer lower rates but jack them up later — and seem to target those who can least afford it. You can (and should) read Miriam's [excellently explained story here](. But first, here's a snapshot, by the numbers: - 12: The number of states — including Massachusetts — that allow residents to buy electricity through competitive suppliers. - 516,000: The number of Bay Staters enrolled in electric plans from competitive suppliers, or about one of every 14 residents. - $525 million: The amount ratepayers in Massachusetts overspent on electricity between 2015 and 2021 because of competitive supply contracts. - $231: How much the average Massachusetts resident enrolled with competitive suppliers loses per year, according to a report last week from Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office. - 29%: The percentage of low-income residents in the state that bought their electricity from a competitive supplier, compared to only 15% of non-low-income residents. - 33%: The percentage of households in Brockton that are signed up for competitive electricity suppliers. It's the highest rate in the state. - 0: The number of competitive electricity supply companies that have actually charged customers less than a utility over a multi-year period. - What should you do? Here's [a list of tips]( to help you avoid getting scammed and make informed decisions about your electric bill. - K-12 students in Marlborough may need to find a different way to school this morning. While two neighboring MetroWest communities narrowly avoided school bus strikes today after the drivers [union's contract expired]( officials say the strike is on in Marlborough. - City officials are referring parents to [a contingency plan]( that directs students within 1.5 miles of their school to walk and offers a small number of buses to those living farther away. - In Westborough, contract negotiations are still ongoing but officials say there's no strike at this point. - In Framingham, there's no strike; a tentative deal was reached. - A PSA for commuter rail riders: Buses will be the only option today for late-night train riders from Braintree and beyond. Not only is the MBTA replacing Red Line service between JFK/UMass and Braintree with shuttles buses starting at 8:45 p.m. each night through Thursday, all three commuter rail lines to Braintree will stop service at 7:30 p.m. for the rest of the month to allow for the overnight track work. (That means the last train from South Station will leave a little after 7 p.m.) - The Red Line diversion is the [first of four early Braintree branch closures this month](. (Three others are planned May 15-19, May 22-25 and May 30-31.) But the evening commuter rail diversion — announced last week — will run [nearly every night through June 1](. - T officials say the dual diversions are for "critical" track work on the Red Line — which includes replacing nearly a mile of rail — to "alleviate speed restrictions" that currently [cover 22% of the line](. - How slow is it? Between JFK/UMass and Braintree, the slow zones have made what was once a 20-minute trip take around 35 minutes in [each]( [direction]( according to TransitMatters. - Meanwhile, it's full speed ahead for Massachusetts fisherman. The state's Division of Marine Fisheries says that right whales have continued their migration out of Massachusetts waters, meaning fishing restrictions to protect the endangered species can be lifted. - [Beginning today]( fishing boats can return to normal speeds and resume using traps for the first time in three months. P.S.— The countdown to Mother's Day is under a week. If you want to save yourself some time finding a gift while also supporting the news you rely on, consider sending some Winston Flowers through WBUR. You can [choose from four beautiful options and save 10% when you order today](. It's a [win-win-win]( (The third win is Mom, of course.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Biden and McConnell have a debt limit past. Can they deliver another late-inning save?]( McConnell may well wish to wash his hands of this year's blood-letting over the debt limit and all it entails. But he knows it will not be that easy. He may know that better than anyone. [Read more.]( [Biden and McConnell have a debt limit past. Can they deliver another late-inning save?]( McConnell may well wish to wash his hands of this year's blood-letting over the debt limit and all it entails. But he knows it will not be that easy. He may know that better than anyone. [Read more.]( [Man charged in Harvard bomb threats freed; suspects sought]( Federal prosecutors say they don’t believe the New Hampshire man accused of phoning in bomb threats to Harvard University and demanding a large amount of Bitcoin was acting alone. [Read more.]( [Man charged in Harvard bomb threats freed; suspects sought]( Federal prosecutors say they don’t believe the New Hampshire man accused of phoning in bomb threats to Harvard University and demanding a large amount of Bitcoin was acting alone. [Read more.]( [Authorities identify the shooter who opened fire at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday]( Witnesses and video footage on social media have begun to paint a picture of the horror that transpired at the shopping center in Allen, a suburb of Dallas. [Read more.]( [Authorities identify the shooter who opened fire at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday]( Witnesses and video footage on social media have begun to paint a picture of the horror that transpired at the shopping center in Allen, a suburb of Dallas. [Read more.]( [Hampshire College expects largest incoming class in 5 years]( In 2019, Hampshire was in trouble. Facing financial challenges, it laid off staff, limited the number of students entering in the fall, and explored the possibility of a merger. [Read more.]( [Hampshire College expects largest incoming class in 5 years]( In 2019, Hampshire was in trouble. Facing financial challenges, it laid off staff, limited the number of students entering in the fall, and explored the possibility of a merger. [Read more.]( [String of horse deaths before the Kentucky Derby reignites scrutiny about the sport]( Seven horses died in the lead-up to the final race of the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs, home to the Derby, is launching an investigation into the fatalities. [Read more.]( [String of horse deaths before the Kentucky Derby reignites scrutiny about the sport]( Seven horses died in the lead-up to the final race of the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs, home to the Derby, is launching an investigation into the fatalities. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week at CitySpace: Join us Wednesday night for [an inspiring evening of readings, performances and conversations about the shifting perception of motherhood]( presented by WBUR's opinion section, Cognoscenti. And we'll end the week with [a concert Friday featuring Lee Zangari]( WBUR’s [local favorite]( from last year's NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest. - A new novel from Somerville author Andrew Krivak continues the saga that was started by his book "The Sojourn" and followed by "The Signal of the Flame." In his latest, "Like the Appearance of Horses," Krivak weaves through the previous books, depicting how war shaped the fates and fortunes of a proud, tight-knit family across generations. Read book critic Michael Patrick Brady's [full review](. - Beloved baking competition program "The Great British Baking Show" has finally come across the pond, [Here & Now reports](. You can now catch "The Great American Baking Show," which debuted with hosts Zack Cherry and Ellie Kemper (featuring appearances from GBBS hosts Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith) on the Roku Channel. - Sarah Sherman-Stokes [writes in this commentary]( that President Joe Biden stands to gain little, if anything, by continuing his move to the right on immigration — and risks losing both votes and integrity.  What We're Reading 📚 - War, Weapons and Conspiracy Theories: Inside Airman Teixeira’s Online World ([The New York Times]( - How Rep. James Clyburn Protected His District at a Cost to Black Democrats ([ProPublica]( - Historical marker for communist from New Hampshire sparks GOP outrage ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [Hear Mayor Wu's Mozart piano solo with the BSO at Symphony Hall (Boston.com)]( Mayor Michelle Wu made history on Sunday as she became the first sitting mayor of Boston to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra during the free Concert of the City at Symphony Hall. [Read more.]( [Hear Mayor Wu's Mozart piano solo with the BSO at Symphony Hall (Boston.com)]( Mayor Michelle Wu made history on Sunday as she became the first sitting mayor of Boston to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra during the free Concert of the City at Symphony Hall. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks into why that door-to-door promise of cheaper electricity [might not hold up](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? 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