National Grid Settlements: Eligibility, Claims, and Payouts

If you’re trying to find out whether you qualify for one of the National Grid settlements and how to collect, the answer depends on which case you’re asking about. Three different tracks exist: court-approved class action settlements, regulatory agreements negotiated by state attorneys general, and individual property damage claims filed directly with the company. The most publicized case, a $38.5 million Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action, stopped accepting new claims on May 12, 2022.¹ National Grid’s property damage claims process, by contrast, is open year-round to customers in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.²

The Three Kinds of National Grid Cases

Each type of case has its own filing method, deadline, and relief. Knowing which one applies to you is the first filter.

Class Action Lawsuits

A class action pools thousands of customer claims into a single case. If a court approves the settlement, every customer who fits the class definition is automatically included unless they opt out. The Jenkins v. National Grid TCPA case is the best-known example. It alleged National Grid made automated calls to customers’ cell phones without consent, and the company agreed to pay $38.5 million into a non-reversionary fund plus implement new call-handling policies.³ That claim window has closed, but new class actions can be filed at any time, and if one is pending you’ll typically receive notice by postcard or email from a settlement administrator.

Regulatory Agreements

State regulators and attorneys general can investigate National Grid and negotiate relief on behalf of customers without a class action lawsuit. In Massachusetts, the Attorney General secured a $7 million agreement after finding National Grid had improperly charged roughly 53,000 gas customers a $50 reconnection fee between November 2010 and November 2016. Affected customers got their $50 back plus interest, with current customers receiving bill credits and former customers receiving refund checks. The settlement also directed $3 million toward helping consumers lower their gas bills.⁴ Regulatory relief is often applied automatically, so you may need to do nothing beyond watching your account statements.

Individual Property Damage Claims

If National Grid’s equipment or service caused physical damage to your property, say a power surge that destroyed appliances, you can file a claim directly with the company’s Claims Department. This process is separate from any class action or regulatory case and has no fixed class-wide deadline, though your state’s statute of limitations still applies.⁵

Who Qualifies

Settlement eligibility usually turns on three overlapping criteria. You must meet all of them.

Geography. You must have been a customer in the specific service area covered by the case. National Grid serves parts of New York (Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and upstate), all of Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. A Massachusetts gas settlement does not cover a New York electric customer.²
Time period. Every settlement names exact dates. The TCPA case covered automated calls made between March 9, 2011 and October 29, 2021. The Massachusetts reconnection fee case covered charges from November 2010 to November 2016.¹⁴
Customer type. The class definition is precise. It might include only residential gas customers, only people who received automated calls on a cell phone, or only small business electric accounts. Being a customer during the right years isn’t enough if you don’t match the specified customer type.

For class actions, the exact definition appears on the official settlement website or court notice. For regulatory agreements, the state attorney general’s office or public utility commission usually posts the details.

What You Can Receive

Payouts vary by case type. Class action settlements usually distribute cash from a common fund. In the TCPA case, class counsel originally estimated payments of $50 to $150 per claimant, though the actual first distribution came in below the high end because the per-person amount depends on how many valid claims are filed. Some settlements make a second, smaller distribution if money remains after the first round.

Regulatory settlements tend to deliver relief as bill credits on your current account, or as refund checks if you’ve since closed your account.⁴ These are often automatic, so check your statements once a settlement is announced.

Settlements also often require National Grid to change its practices. The TCPA agreement mandated new procedures for automated calling.³ The Massachusetts case required the company to fix the billing error that caused the overcharges.⁴ Nothing to file for that part; it takes effect for everyone covered.

Filing a Property Damage Claim

This is the route most readers can actually use right now. You file directly with National Grid’s Claims Department. There are three submission options: through the online form on the National Grid website, by email to ClaimsDept@nationalgrid.com, or by mail to the Claims Department at 55 Bearfoot Road, Northboro, MA 01532.⁵

Gather your documentation first. You’ll need the account number and service address where the damage occurred, and for each damaged item the make, model number, and original purchase date. Include a written repair bill or estimate. If an item cannot be repaired, include a repairman’s written statement confirming the repair cost would exceed replacement cost, plus a purchase receipt or replacement estimate.⁵ Photograph everything before any repairs are made.

National Grid applies depreciation to replacement items, so expect less than the original purchase price on older appliances.⁵ Return the completed form and supporting evidence within 60 days. Miss that window and the company may close your file.⁶ A claims representative will investigate and contact you with a decision. Complex claims take longer, and there’s no guaranteed timeline.

Filing a Class Action Claim When One Is Open

If a class action settlement is accepting claims, the process is usually standardized. Visit the official settlement website listed in the court-approved notice, complete the claim form, and submit before the deadline. Most administrators let you file online or print and mail the form.¹

The deadline is absolute. File late and you get nothing, and you still give up your right to sue individually. For mailed claims, the postmark date controls, so certified mail creates proof you met the cutoff. After you file, the administrator verifies claims, the court grants final approval, and any appeals must resolve before checks go out. The wait from final approval to payment often runs several months to over a year.

Opting Out or Objecting

In a class action, you have a choice to make, and confusing the two options can cost you.

Opting out removes you from the class. You give up your share of the settlement fund but keep your right to sue National Grid on your own over the same conduct. This matters if your individual damages are much larger than the typical class member’s payout. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 requires the court to notify class members of their right to request exclusion along with the deadline and method.⁷ Opt-out windows typically run 45 to 60 days from the date you receive notice.

Objecting means you stay in the class but formally challenge the terms, perhaps because you think the payout is too low or the attorney fees are too high. The judge weighs objections at the final approval hearing. If the court approves anyway, you’re bound by the result and receive your share.

Do nothing, and you’re treated as a participating class member. You get whatever payment you’re entitled to, either automatically or by filing a claim form, but you permanently release your right to sue over the same conduct. The release typically extends to related issues you didn’t yet know about. Once final, that release is extremely difficult to undo.

Taxes on Settlement Money

Most National Grid settlement payments are taxable income. The IRS treats settlement proceeds as gross income under Internal Revenue Code Section 61 unless a specific exclusion applies.⁸ The main exclusion, under Section 104(a)(2), covers damages for personal physical injuries or physical sickness.⁹ That almost never applies to utility settlements. TCPA payments compensate for unwanted phone calls. Bill credits reimburse overcharges. Property damage payments don’t qualify either unless there was a bodily injury. Expect to owe tax on any cash payment or refund. A 1099 may arrive if the amount is large enough, but even without one, the income is reportable.

If You Receive Public Benefits

A settlement check can threaten eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or other means-tested programs. The payment may count as income in the month you receive it, then as an asset in every later month you still hold it. In states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, asset limits can run as low as $2,000 for a single person, so even a modest check can push you over the line. You’re required to report the income to your state Medicaid agency; failing to can cost you coverage or trigger a demand to repay services received while technically ineligible.

Two strategies can help. The first is spending the money down within the same calendar month on allowable expenses such as paying off debt, covering medical bills, or making necessary home repairs. The second is placing funds in a special needs trust if you meet disability criteria, which lets you hold assets without losing Medicaid or SSI. A special needs trust must be set up properly, and any funds left in it at death may be subject to Medicaid repayment. If a settlement is large enough to create a benefits problem, talk to an attorney who specializes in benefits planning before you deposit the check.

1
National Grid TCPA Settlement. National Grid TCPA Settlement Notice
2
National Grid. Select a National Grid Regional Service
3
ClassAction.org. Jenkins et al v National Grid USA Service Company Inc et al – Plaintiffs Memorandum of Law in Support of Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval
4
Mass.gov. AG Healey Secures $7 Million Settlement with National Grid for Overcharging Customers
5
National Grid. Customer Claims
6
National Grid. National Grid Claim Form
7
Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 23
8
Internal Revenue Service. Tax Implications of Settlements and Judgments
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 26 – Section 104