Attorney General Maura Healey has negotiated an agreement with Bay State Gas Co., also known as Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, to reduce the company’s proposed rate increase for its customers by more than $11 million.  

Healey said in a statement that Columbia Gas has also agreed to not impose any other base distribution rate increases before March 2021. This decrease in rates will affect more than 321,000 Columbia Gas customers in the state.  

The settlement filed with the Department of Public Utilities was signed by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and the Low-Income Weatherization and Fuel Assistance Program Network.  

As a part of the agreement, Columbia Gas will encourage its residential customers to use less gas and lower their heating bills through wireless heating thermostats and other new technology. The company will also contribute $125,000 in 2019 and 2020 towards incentivizing residential customers to use wireless heating controls, Healey said in a statement.  

The agreement is still waiting approval from the Department of Public Utilities, and if approved these rates will go into effect on Nov. 1.