MANCHESTER – Some towns have had difficulty in securing better rates for electric power service to the point of rejecting bids and starting from scratch. The township recently approved a contract for service noting its current contract expires in a few months.
Township Mayor Robert Hudak recently announced that a new third party energy aggregation contract, approved during a special Township Council meeting on July 13, will continue the savings residents have come to expect on their electricity bills since the implementation of the Manchester Community Energy Aggregation Program in 2017.
While Jersey Central Power & Light will continue to provide the electricity, the delivery will be by Energy Harbor LLC “at a lower cost thanks to the bulk purchasing rate accepted by the Council,” he said. “Manchester Township’s current contract with energy supplier Constellation is set to expire in October, so bids for a new contract were recently solicited.”
Hudak explained that in order to deem a bid acceptable, “it had to guarantee savings by offering a fixed, non-adjustable rate that is lower than JCP&L. Energy Harbor’s bid accomplishes that and proved most advantageous to our residents by offering a 24-month contract price, beginning in December 2021, of $0.08580/kwh.”
The mayor noted that this represents a projected 7.1 percent average savings when compared to JCP&L’s rate over that same time period.
“One of my goals as Mayor, which is shared with the Township Council, is to find innovative ways to continue to save our residents money whenever possible. The Manchester Community Energy Aggregation Program has proven to be a simple and effective cost-saving measure, as our residents are automatically enrolled without any hassle. I’m proud to work alongside the Township Council and Administration to ensure its continuation,” Mayor Hudak added.
He said residents could be rest assured “that there are no hidden catches to this program, with the contract design and bid specifications created to protect consumers. Additionally, the contract terms are reviewed by the state Board of Public Utilities and Rate Council.”
Manchester paid no expenses to implement this program, as Gable Associates, the township’s designated energy aggregator, did the work to solicit bids and administer the program. The expected savings residents will see on the generation portion of their electric bills is inclusive of any administrative costs. Additionally, customers may continue to contact JCP&L – just as they do now – for any questions including billing, outage reports, or other concerns.
The new contract takes into consideration the many residents who live in retirement villages in the community and who rely only on electricity for their energy needs, including for heat. The program promises to provide some relief.
Council Vice President Joan Brush said, “ensuring the continuation of the energy aggregation program was a top priority for the Council. In this economy, every little bit helps, especially for our senior residents on fixed incomes. We were pleased that Energy Harbor returned a bid that will save our residents money.”
The program continues to work through an “opt out” system, meaning residents are automatically enrolled unless they indicate that they do not want to participate. Mailings containing more information about the program and the opt out process are forthcoming, and residents will be able to respond if they do not wish to be enrolled.
Residents with solar panels and those already enrolled in another energy program will not be included. If already on a budget billing plan, customers may remain on that plan, and those who enroll in the energy aggregation program have the option to use budget billing in the future.
