BOSTON (WWLP) - If you noticed a shockingly high utility bill last month, you are not alone--electricity prices were up 300% this February. Utility prices are determined primarily by consumer demand and fuel costs, and a colder-than-average February means both of these factors were elevated. N atural gas suppliers usually set the wholesale electricity costs, closely linked to fuel costs, so when the supplier's prices are up, your bill is higher too. By the numbers, the average real-time electricity price in February was a whopping $126.40 per megawatt hour up 301%. 55% of New England's power is generated using natural gas, and the price per therm--the unit of measurement used to indicate how much heat energy is made using natural gas--clocked in at 319% above average at $14.62 per therm. Carbon emissions are also increasing in New England, up 10.3% this February as compared to last year, with a grand total of 2.28 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in February 2025. This increase goes hand in hand with the increase in customer demand, up 4.7% from last year, and decreased average temperatures, down 5 degrees from last year. Lawmakers have been working on tweaking Massachusetts' energy sources for years, with the end goal of switching the state to entirely renewable energy like solar and wind power. Progress is slow, and expected to slow more under the Trump Administration, as the president has promised to "frack, baby, frack." Governor Healey named energy affordability as one of her administration's main goals in her January State of the Commonwealth address but has not yet put a specific plan before state lawmakers. Local News Headlines Safety experts remind drivers about 'Move Over Law' after three workers killed on I-91 State House Spotlight: Lawmakers and advocates collaborate Local lawmaker fights back against illegal dirt bikes Utility bills skyrocketed 300% in February WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. ...read more read less