WBUR’s Mirian Wasser talks to a panel of energy experts —Matthew Nelson, former chair of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities; Erika Uyterhoeven, a Democratic state representative from Somerville Disctrict; and Mary Wambui, a ratepayer advocate who sits on the state’s Energy Efficiency Advisory Council  — about the market and policy drivers behind the skyrocketing electric and gas bills across New England, as well as practical steps consumers can take to ease the burden.

This conversation was a part of The WBUR Festival (2026), where thousands of attendees descend on Boston each year to hear movers, makers, and other fascinating people in conversation with each other and with WBUR.