HANSON – While questions remain in the community about the town’s energy aggregation program, which begins later this month, town officials and representatives of the energy consultants are working on answering them.
The town’s Energy Committee held an informational session on the Community Power program on Monday, April 22 at the Hanson Police Station Community Room, as well as an online meeting Thursday, May 2 and another in-person session at the Hanson Senior Center, Thursday, May 9.
In 2021, Hanson residents in Town Meeting voted to allow the town to explore a municipal energy aggregate program, which is designed to provide savings on electric bills for residents who are now National Grid customers, according to Town Administrator Lisa Green, who introduced the April 22 meeting.
Hanson contracted with Good Energy to guide the town through the steps of the two-year process to set up the aggregate program, including submitting data to the state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to obtain its approval. Once provisional acceptance was issued, the town had to make adjustments to achieve full approval from the DPU, which was received this spring.
During that phase, energy supply companies made bids on their kilowatt hourly rates.
Direct Energy, which provided the lowest bid, was selected and an agreement was signed with the town.
“The town itself has a similar agreement with a company called Sprague Energy,” Green said. “It gives the town lower costs, and the town has seen [more than] $42,000 in savings in both our natural gas and electricity costs over the last four years.”
Energy Committee Chair Marianne DiMascio and representatives from Good Energy also attended the meeting to provide more information and answer questions.
DiMascio is designed to be a five-member committee that was named after Town Meeting passed the aggregate energy article, noting the panel was down a member and putting in a plug for the process of joining, should anyone be interested.
Select Board member Ed Heal, James Armstrong and John Murray also sit on the Energy Committee.
Rachel Ferdinand, program manager for Hanson with Good Energy, gave an informational program for those at the meeting, which can be streamed on Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV’s website – at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irTByt-DmIE.
“This program is a way for the town to offer different [energy] supply options,” Ferdinand said. “This will only affect the supply portion of your bill.”
In fact, savings and support of renewable energy options in the area are Good Energy’s main goals, she said. While National Grid’s rate changes every six months may mean periods when there are few savings, Ferdnand stressed that “over the course of the 30-month term, we are expecting to see savings across the board.”
The program officially begins in June 2024 for a 30-month contract with Direct Energy. National Grid will still be the billing company and should still be contacted in the event of outages. At the end of 30 months, the town will decide whether or not to continue the program and, if it decides to continue, it would repeat the competitive bid process to find a new supplier.
“We’ll never just change the price on you,” Ferdinand said.
Three program options are available:
- Standard – the one most people join. It adds 10 percent renewable among its energy sources and costs 13.692 cents per kilowatt hour.
- Basic – with no renewable sources and a price of 13.280 cents pre kWh.
- Plus – adds voluntary renewable energy to a total of 100 percent at 14.738 cents per kWh.
“It is completely voluntary to be in this program,” she said. “There’s never going to be a fee to opt out of the program … but if you do join it will differ based on who your supplier is right now.”
National Grid’s basic residential service, by comparison, costs 18.213 cents per kWh and includes no additional renewable energy sources.
Renewable sources include wind and solar and are local to the New England region.
Those eligible for automatic enrollment would start at standard first, Ferdnand said.
Supplier services will be listed on page two of energy bills.
Residents eligible for automatic enrollment should be receiving letters about it and, if they take no action, will be enrolled in the standard product category in June.
Those not wanting to be in the program may opt out when they receive their letter but must do so by May 18. One can still leave the program after that date, but it will show up on bills until the change is made.
One resident said he believed he was already in the program after receiving his letter.
“I’m saving money right now,” he said.
Residents can also make their preference online at hansoncommunitypower.com. Direct Energy can also be called at 866-968-8065. It is a good idea to have your bill handy if you plan to opt out or make changes to the program because information on the bill, such as account number, will be asked for.
Those already in a contract with a third-party supplier should consult their provider in case there is a fee for changing that contract.
“There’s never going to be a fee with us to join, but it’s important to know the ins and outs of your contract,” Ferdinand said.
Good Energy has been reaching out to residents by letter, postcard, social media, brochures and news articles.
One resident asked about fees. Outside of the usual National Grid delivery fees, Direct Energy will not add new fees to bills.
Customers receiving credits for solar panels from National Grid, which still handles billing, will not see any change in those credits. National Grid will also continue to be responsible for addressing power outages.
There is no connection between the program and the municipal budget.
The aggregate program will not affect the performance of oxygen machines or generators.