The Department of Public Utilities

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is the state agency responsible for regulating utility companies. DPU regulates gas, electric, privately owned water companies (but not municipal water companies).¹ Landline telephone companies are regulated by the Department of Telecommunications and Cable (DTC) and operate under a slightly different set of regulations.²

The DPU has a special consumer division staffed by individuals who are trained to help consumers when companies do not follow the law or refuse to make reasonable agreements. DPU's staff are not lawyers, and they will not represent you. However, DPU staff are often able to resolve many of the problems that customers have with utility companies.

Before contacting the DPU consumer division, you must first try to resolve your problem directly with the utility company. You can do this by contacting the utility company's Customer Service number or writing the company a letter. If this fails to resolve the problem, contact the DPU Consumer Division and explain the problem, providing as many details as possible.

If the DPU staff cannot help you, you can try speaking to a DPU Consumer Division supervisor. As a last resort, you have the right to request a hearing against the utility company with a neutral hearing officer supplied by the DPU. The utility company cannot terminate your service while an appeal is pending on a disputed bill.³

How to reach the Department of Public Utilities

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is the state agency responsible for regulating utility companies. In addition to regulating the quality of service, the DPU investigates problems and has procedures to help you resolve problems.

[email protected] 
1-877-886-5066 
Department of Public Utilities
Consumer Division
1 South Station
Boston, MA 02110

You can also use the Online DPU Complaint Form.