Bellingham's New Power Choice Rate Beats National Grid’s Winter Basic Service Price
Nov 27, 2017 09:22AM ● By Pamela Johnson
Bellingham has signed a new electricity supply contract for the Bellingham Power Choice program that is more than a penny below National Grid’s winter Basic Service prices. The new program price for Power Choice Standard is 11.5 cents/kWh, and the new price for 100% renewable electricity with Power Choice green is 11.52 cents/kWh. Both program option prices are below National Grid’s residential price of 12.673 cents/kWh and offer a savings of more than $5 per month for the average Bellingham household. The new program price is also below Eversource’s proposed winter residential price of 13.157 cents/kWh. If approved by state regulators, Eversource’s price would take effect in January 2018.
These new prices are the result of a new 12-month contract with Agera Energy. The Bellingham Power Choice program’s current 12-month contract with NextEra is set to expire with December 2017 electricity meter reads. The new prices will take effect for program participants with their December meter read, and participants will see the new price on the following electricity bill. The new prices apply to all rate classes, including residential, commercial, and industrial accounts. Prices will impact the Supplier Services portion of participants’ electricity bills. All active program participants will be automatically enrolled into the new contract with Agera Energy and will receive the new program rate.
“Electricity supply prices in Massachusetts have increased since we launched the program,” said Bellingham Town Administrator Denis Fraine. “However, we have been able to negotiate a competitive price that is below the recently announced utility Basic Service prices, which means program participants should continue to see savings this winter.”
Bellingham Power Choice program is a municipal energy aggregation. By bulk purchasing electricity for the entire community through this program, Bellingham is working to make electricity costs more predictable and more stable and to give participants more control over the price and environmental characteristics of the electricity they use.
The program offers two alternatives to National Grid and Eversource Basic Service pricing:
Power Choice Standard is the default offering. New National Grid and Eversource Basic Service customers in Bellingham are automatically enrolled in the Standard Offering, unless they choose to opt out.
Power Choice Green is an option that allows participants to make their electricity supply 100% renewable, with a focus on locally generated renewable energy. Power Choice Green includes an extra 20% from renewable energy projects in New England, in addition to the minimum required by the state.
The new prices will be in effect from December 2017 meter reads until December 2018 meter reads. During that time, National Grid’s Basic Service prices and Eversource’s Basic Service prices will change and may at times be lower than the program price. However, program participants have the right to leave, or opt out, of the program at any time with no penalty.
In compliance with state regulations for municipal energy aggregations, new National Grid and Eversource Basic Service customers in Bellingham are automatically enrolled in the program unless they choose to opt out. Additional details, including information on how to switch from one option to another or opt out of the program, are available at www.masspowerchoice.com/bellingham. Customer support is available from the Town’s consultants by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-844-241-8595.
These new prices are the result of a new 12-month contract with Agera Energy. The Bellingham Power Choice program’s current 12-month contract with NextEra is set to expire with December 2017 electricity meter reads. The new prices will take effect for program participants with their December meter read, and participants will see the new price on the following electricity bill. The new prices apply to all rate classes, including residential, commercial, and industrial accounts. Prices will impact the Supplier Services portion of participants’ electricity bills. All active program participants will be automatically enrolled into the new contract with Agera Energy and will receive the new program rate.
“Electricity supply prices in Massachusetts have increased since we launched the program,” said Bellingham Town Administrator Denis Fraine. “However, we have been able to negotiate a competitive price that is below the recently announced utility Basic Service prices, which means program participants should continue to see savings this winter.”
Bellingham Power Choice program is a municipal energy aggregation. By bulk purchasing electricity for the entire community through this program, Bellingham is working to make electricity costs more predictable and more stable and to give participants more control over the price and environmental characteristics of the electricity they use.
The program offers two alternatives to National Grid and Eversource Basic Service pricing:
Power Choice Standard is the default offering. New National Grid and Eversource Basic Service customers in Bellingham are automatically enrolled in the Standard Offering, unless they choose to opt out.
Power Choice Green is an option that allows participants to make their electricity supply 100% renewable, with a focus on locally generated renewable energy. Power Choice Green includes an extra 20% from renewable energy projects in New England, in addition to the minimum required by the state.
The new prices will be in effect from December 2017 meter reads until December 2018 meter reads. During that time, National Grid’s Basic Service prices and Eversource’s Basic Service prices will change and may at times be lower than the program price. However, program participants have the right to leave, or opt out, of the program at any time with no penalty.
In compliance with state regulations for municipal energy aggregations, new National Grid and Eversource Basic Service customers in Bellingham are automatically enrolled in the program unless they choose to opt out. Additional details, including information on how to switch from one option to another or opt out of the program, are available at www.masspowerchoice.com/bellingham. Customer support is available from the Town’s consultants by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-844-241-8595.
