State regulators are forcing natural gas companies to temporarily reduce total gas bills by at least 5% next month after public outcry over skyrocketing rates from Eversource, National Grid and other companies.

Experts and advocates say a “perfect storm” this winter caused the dramatic spikes. That includes a colder winter, economic pressures for volatile fossil fuel sources and a gas pipeline system within a monopoly of utility companies. And most of the cost comes down to the utilities’ delivery charges.

Bills will still be high through February since it will take time for utilities to adjust their rates. And though customers will see upfront savings through the end of winter, those deferred costs will come back to customers, and spread out through the May-October billing period.

Gov. Maura Healey and state lawmakers pushed for action “immediately” from regulators to get relief for customers this winter. And on Thursday, state regulators sent a letter to gas companies requiring them to reduce consumer costs for March and April.

Last November, though, those same regulators — the Department of Public Utilities, with commissioners appointed by the governor — who approved hikes of up to 30% for Eversource and up to 13% for National Grid.

Ratepayers say they feel betrayed by regulators who approved the price hikes in the first place.

What individuals can do

Individual consumers can reach out to their utility company and ask about a budgeted billing plan. Low-income consumers can enroll in rate programs that can save them up to 70% on their bills — and there are moderate-income discounts, too. It’s illegal for any utility to shut off heating, even if residents can’t pay, during the winter months.

Eversource customer Brieana Hernandez of Duxbury said her family has no options when it comes to gas prices, because it comes through the town.

“My complaint is: We are on a fixed income, with me on disability. And we have two little kids. We keep our house at 60 degrees. It’s entirely unacceptable [to pay these prices].”

New Bedford resident Elijah DeSousa started a Facebook page pushing for an inquiry that now has 18,000 subscribers. DeSousa said his electric bill doubled from $150 to $300 this year, so he organized a petition to reverse rate and delivery hikes.

DeSousa said he doesn’t understand why the state’s Department of Public Utilities gave permission for utility companies like Eversource to raise their rates.

“We need a forensic audit,” DeSousa said. “We need to understand the communications between Eversource and the DPU.”

When it comes to who’s at fault for skyrocketing costs, there is not one entity to blame, said Amy Boyd Rabin, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Rather, she said the state needs to make the right decisions and carefully spend money on infrastructure going forward.

“I don’t think anyone dropped the ball,” Rabin said.

“I think we are in a difficult season where the commonwealth is trying to plan for the future and make investments that we’re going to need in our clean energy future,” Rabin added. “At the same time we’re dealing with legacy problems and costs that have been caused by our existing infrastructure, and the existing infrastructure is also kind of aging out.”

The big picture

In the long run, experts and advocates agree there is no simple solution to curtail surging energy costs in Massachusetts.

“They’re private companies who are regulated by state officials at the Department of Public Utilities. So there’s a push and pull, that they enjoy the benefits of having a monopoly,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, attorney and vice president at the Conservation Law Foundation of Massachusetts.

The state is hurtling toward a 2050 deadline to hit net zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but the gas infrastructure will still need billions of dollars in repair and upkeep before then — plus funding for the Mass Save program to subsidize the transition to energy-efficient homes.

According to a group of environmental and renewable energy advocates, there are two policies in effect today that directly impact delivery rates by allowing gas companies to boost their profits: the Gas System Enhancement Plan and line extension allowances.

The GSEP was created in 2014 to accelerate the replacement of leak-prone gas pipes.

“That was a safety issue as well as a climate issue. So [the state] determined it was worth repairing or replacing,” said Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation at Acadia Center.

Costs have mushroomed, even as gas leaks continue, and Murray says it could cost a total of $40 billion by 2039 to completely address.

Utilities also charge existing customers line extension allowances: the cost of bringing gas services to new customers. New gas hookups cost an average of $9,000 per home in Massachusetts.

Fluctuating natural gas prices also factor into utilities’ charges, because the commonwealth imports its fossil fuel sources.

“The cost of gas that we purchase from the market significantly increased in January, driven primarily by the extreme cold temperatures in the supply regions as well as the increased usage,” said Eversource spokeswoman Jamie Ratliff.

Rabin said Massachusetts has always been at the high end of energy costs because of its need to import fuels.

“That’s why Environmental League of Massachusetts has focused on increasing Massachusetts’ clean energy, because our best opportunity for sustainable energy supply is getting green electricity like offshore wind,” she said.

Part of consumers’ bills also fund the Mass Save program, which offers rebates and incentives for residents to make their homes more energy efficient. The program’s costs continue to rise: it’s about to enter its next three-year cycle, and has asked the Department of Public Utilities to allocate $5 billion — a jump of $1 billion over the prior cycle. Those costs go back to ratepayers, too.

“It’s still awaiting approval of the DPU. And you know, that is a big jump,” said Murray, who added it’s keeping with inflation.

“I think it’s really wrong to target programs like Mass Save as a cause of these costs,” said Rabin.

Boyd said Mass Save “is a small part of our energy bills, but the benefits outweigh the costs.”