WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Town of West Springfield, with the assistance of Colonial Power Group, Inc., is pleased to announce it has entered into a 39-month agreement with NextEra Energy Services to bring energy cost-savings to the town’s residents through this initiative.
West Springfield ratepayers will collectively save more than $1.4 million during the term of the contract due to the newly created West Springfield Community Choice Power Supply program.
“I am excited to implement this program for the benefit of West Springfield’s residents and small business owners,” said Mayor William Reichelt. “By aggregating, or essentially buying our energy in bulk, we are able to offer West Springfield ratepayers an energy option that has a lower rate, resulting in a cost savings for them.”
The West Springfield Community Choice Power Supply Program is a municipal aggregation program which, in accordance with Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c. 164, § 134), enables local government to combine the purchasing power of its residents and businesses so that it can provide them with an alternative electricity supply.
“The West Springfield Community Choice program provides local control and competition while also lowering the burden of energy costs for West Springfield’s residents and business community,” said Mark Cappadona, President of Colonial Power Group, Inc. “We commend West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt and the Town Council for their forward-thinking approach to energy purchasing.”
Participating residents and businesses in West Springfield will see an average savings of 5 percent in their monthly energy bills during the term of the contract. The program will provide a combined average savings of nearly $37,000 per month for the town’s residential and businesses ratepayers during the contract term.
Additionally, those ratepayers who currently participate in the WMECo Green Options program, through Green Energy Consumer Alliance, will continue to have that option available. The Green Options program allows for concurrent enrollment with the West Springfield Community Choice program, basic service, or other competitive suppliers not affiliated with the Town of West Springfield.
The cost savings provided by the West Springfield Community Choice Power Supply Program for residents and businesses will begin with the September 2019 meter reads (October 2019 billings).
Residents will not notice any change in their electricity service. The only discernible difference will be that NextEra Energy Services of Houston, Texas, the selected electricity supplier for the Community Choice program, will be printed under “Supply Services” on Eversource West’s monthly bills. Residents and small business owners will continue to receive one bill from Eversource West and to send payments to Eversource West for processing. There will be no interruption in billing, power, or customer service.
Colonial Power Group is the leading aggregation consulting firm in Massachusetts. Municipal electricity aggregation allows cities and towns to pool the electrical consumption of all ratepayers in their jurisdictions and competitively procure lower cost electricity supply on behalf of the participants. The aggregation allows the municipality to obtain better pricing than individual residents and business owners could due to economies of scale. Colonial Power works with state officials, utility executives, and energy industry leaders to facilitate the purchase of electricity at a rate lower than basic service rates. Since July 2013, Colonial Power has saved households and businesses across Massachusetts a total of over $11 million on their electric bills.
Colonial Power Group, which serves more than 60 municipalities in Massachusetts, was chosen to design, implement, and administer the program on behalf of West Springfield. NextEra Energy Services was selected through a competitive process.
No action is required by ratepayers to participate in this cost-saving program. The program will be operated on an opt-out basis, meaning that all West Springfield residential and business customers currently on Eversource West’s basic service will be automatically enrolled into the program unless they choose to opt out. You may opt-out of the program at any time and there are no penalty charges.
Two information sessions to answer any questions regarding the West Springfield Community Choice Power Supply Program will be held by the Town and representatives of Colonial Power Group on:
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Time: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Location: Justin Morgan Auditorium located at the West Springfield Town Hall, 26 Central Street on the 2nd Floor
Residents may also visit https://cpg.davisadbeta.com or call (866) 485-5858 ext. 1 to learn more about West Springfield’s Community Choice Power Supply Program.