Town announces info session, opt-out deadline for ‘Electricity Choice’

Preparations are ongoing for Canton Electricity Choice, the town’s new municipal energy aggregation program that’s set to officially launch in June.

According to Tom Birmingham, chair of the town’s Energy Advisory Committee, the program has been generally well received by residents and the number of customer support calls received to date has been consistent with expectations.

“So far, so good,” said Birmingham. “All eligible customers have now received a letter in the mail and the enrollment window is open.”

He added, “Choosing an electricity supply option is not something people do every day, so folks naturally have questions. I was glad to see over 100 residents come to the recent information session at the Senior Center. We want people to feel good about their decision, and we are happy to answer everyone’s questions.”

Utilized by nearly 170 Massachusetts communities, including the neighboring towns of Milton and Sharon, municipal aggregation programs enable cities and towns to purchase electricity supply on behalf of residents and businesses. By purchasing in bulk, communities can negotiate more favorable prices on greener electricity while providing consumers with a range of rate options based on the percentage of electricity that comes from renewable sources.

As a result of a new two-year supply contract with Constellation NewEnergy, Canton customers will be able to choose from three different options that are estimated to be lower than Eversource’s current residential Basic Service price, though future savings cannot be guaranteed. Customers can also opt out of the program altogether and choose to stay with Eversource while continuing to pay Eversource’s rates. Those who plan to opt out before the launch of Canton Electricity Choice must do so by Monday, May 6.

Customers who take no action will be automatically enrolled in the “Standard Green” tier and will receive an additional 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources while paying 13.434 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh), which is more than 3 cents per KWh less than Eversource’s current residential price.

Customers can also choose at any time to “opt up” to the “Canton Plus Green” tier, which provides customers with 100 percent of their electricity from renewable sources for 14.555 cents per KWh, or “opt down” to the “Canton Basic” tier, which provides customers with the minimum percentage of renewable electricity allowed under state law for 13.003 cents per KWh. The rates for all three Canton Electricity Choice tiers are lower than Eversource’s current residential rate and are locked in for a period of 24 months beginning with the June billing cycle.

Birmingham said a number of the questions they’ve received to date pertain to the different options available and rates for each. Residents have also inquired about impacts to solar net-metering credits and solar incentive payments, as well as enrollment options for those who have already enrolled in a private contract with a third-party electricity supplier.

Answers to these and other frequently asked questions will be addressed at an information session at the Canton Library on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room. There will also be informational tables set up at the Earth Day Festival at the Museum of American Bird Art on Saturday, April 27, beginning at noon and the Canton Heritage Festival on Saturday, May 18, at beginning at 10 a.m. at the Paul Revere Heritage Site. Birmingham will also be presenting to members of the local business community owners at the May 9 meeting of the Canton Association of Business and Industry (CABI). Additionally, Canton Community TV has been airing a recording of the first information session at the Senior Center, and it is available for on-demand viewing at cantoncommunitytv.org.

More information about Canton Electricity Choice can be found at CantonElectricityChoice.com or by calling the customer support line at 1-844-202-6101.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Apr 26 2024. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.