Bellingham’s Community Electricity Program to Soften Electricity Price Increases New Electricity Supply Contract Prices Take Effect in December for Bellingham Power Choice

The Town of Bellingham has entered into a new, 12-month electricity supply contract with NextEra Energy Services for Bellingham Power Choice, which is the town’s group electricity buying program. While the current electricity supply contract with NextEra Energy Services has kept program prices low, program prices will rise to market levels when the new electricity supply contract takes effect. However, the new prices will be lower than National Grid’s record-high winter Basic Service prices, which will take effect on November 1.

The new price for Bellingham Power Choice Standard is 20.862 ¢/kWh. Most participants are enrolled in Bellingham Power Choice Standard. The new price for Bellingham Power Choice Green is 24.662 ¢/kWh. Bellingham Power Choice Green provides 100% renewable electricity from New England and is an option available by request.

While the new prices present a significant increase over current prices, the prices are significantly below National Grid’s upcoming residential Basic Service price of 33.891 ¢/kWh, which will be in place from November through April. An average National Grid Bellingham Power Choice customer using 645 kWh/month will save just over $84 a month this winter as a result of participating in the program. Together, Bellingham National Grid residents enrolled in the program are expected to save an additional $2.2 million compared with National Grid’s prices this winter, on top of the $1.9 million total already saved by all participants since the program launched in early 2017. Eversource will change to winter Basic Service pricing on January 1, however, their winter prices will not be available until later this year. Because prices for both Eversource and National Grid change and future prices are not yet known, the program cannot guarantee to provide future savings.

Current program participants will receive a letter in the mail from the Town informing them of the new prices in the next few weeks. Participants will be automatically enrolled in the new contract with their December 2022 electricity meter read and do not need to take any action. The new prices will first appear on January 2023 National Grid and Eversource electricity bills. 

Program participants retain the right to opt out of the program at any time with no fee or penalty. More information about the Bellingham Power Choice program is available at the program website, BellinghamPowerChoice.com.

For electricity customers having trouble managing their energy costs, National Grid has launched a Winter Customer Savings Initiative. As part of that, electricity customers can make their bills predictable from month to month by enrolling in budget billing with National Grid and get help with payment plans and income-based assistance. More information is available at the new website that has been launched to support this initiative: NationalGridUS.com/heretohelp.

Eversource customers can get help managing their energy bills, including help with payment plans and income-based assistance, on the Eversource website at Eversource.com/content/ema-c/residential/account-billing/payment-assistance. 

All Bellingham customers can get help reducing the amount of energy used in the home with a no-cost home energy audit and other benefits from Mass Save. More information is available at MassSave.com.