Gas heating bills for Eversource customers expected to fall this winter

Natural gas customers of Eversource Energy will see lower rates for heat, water and cooking this winter, the utility that serves 300,000 Massachusetts gas customers said Monday.

Eversource predicted customers will pay an average $144 per month, down about 3 percent from $148 per month in the coldest months of 2015.

The decrease, which must be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, results from a 6 percent decline in price that Eversource pays for natural gas.

Gas rates generally adjust twice a year, on May 1 and Nov. 1, although they can change mid-season if there are large fluctuations in wholesale market prices.

“With another chilly New England winter ahead of us, we’re certainly pleased our customers will be paying less for natural gas for the second year in a row,” said Bill Akley, president of Gas Operations for Eversource, in a statement.

Two years ago, winter gas bills for Massachusetts customers averaged $171.

The company delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.7 million customers in the commonwealth in 140 towns and cities.