Lexington, MA – Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy is demanding an immediate halt to the Mass Save Program following State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s report exposing deep inequities in its design and impact.

The Auditor’s findings reveal that working and middle-class communities, especially renters and residents of Gateway Cities, are paying far more into Mass Save than they receive back – while wealthier homeowners reap disproportionate benefits.

“Under the Healey Administration, the Mass Save Program works very well for wealthy communities with strong homeownership and the resources to take advantage of rebates,” said Kennealy. “But for renters and working families, the program is a raw deal. Renters pay into the system through their utility bills, but they can’t access the benefits because they don’t control the properties they live in. The result is a system that rewards those who need it least while punishing those already struggling to keep up.”

Kennealy also raised concerns that some of the “efficient” technologies promoted through Mass Save have, in practice, raised costs for consumers.

“At the end of the day, Massachusetts is in an affordability crisis and energy costs are at the center of it,” Kennealy continued. “Maura Healey has turned a once promising program into a hidden tax to fund her green gimmicks,and the program must either be restructured to deliver real relief and fairness for every community, or eliminated. To start that process, I am calling for a halt of the Mass Save Program for a full review.”

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