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Sustainability

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1. What is the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program?

The program is a municipal aggregation. Municipal aggregation is a form of group purchasing in which a city or Town arranges electricity supply on behalf of its citizens. Aggregation is allowed by Massachusetts law and is growing in popularity.

The term aggregation is used because all of Natick’s electrical load is combined, or aggregated, and given to the same electricity supplier. This allows Natick to get the best price possible from that electricity supplier.

Natick has chosen ConEdison Solutions as the new electricity supplier for the community. The Town used a competitive bidding process to select ConEdison Solutions and make sure that you get the best possible price for your electricity supply.

2. What is electricity supply?

Electricity service has two parts: supply and delivery. Electricity supply refers to the electricity itself. Delivery is the process of bringing that electricity to you over the wires. Traditionally, NSTAR has chosen your electricity supplier and delivered the electricity to you. With this program, NSTAR will continue to deliver your electricity, but ConEdison Solutions will supply it.

3. How do I benefit from the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program?

You benefit in three ways:

Savings: Natick has negotiated an electricity supply price on behalf of the Town with the goal of beating NSTAR's price, on average, over the course of the 24-month contract. At program launch on January 1, 2015, the program price beats NSTAR's price. Participants will begin to see savings as of their first meter read after launch. Because NSTAR's prices change frequently, there may be months when the program price is higher than the NSTAR price.

Predictability: Natick has negotiated a 24-month contract with ConEdison Solutions on your behalf, which means your electricity supply price will not change during that time. (NSTAR prices change every six months and can go up, down, or stay the same.)

Choice: In addition to giving you an alternative to NSTAR, the program also allows you to choose a 100% green energy option fir less than NSTAR Basic.

4. What will my electricity supply price be as part of the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program?

Standard Option Greener Option
Residential Accounts 13.32 ¢/kWh 14.859 ¢/kWh
Small Commercial/Industrial Accounts 13.23 ¢/kWh 14.769 ¢/kWh
Large Commercial/Industrial Accounts 12.80 ¢/kWh 14.339 ¢/kWh

5. How do I participate in the program?

If NSTAR is your electricity supplier, to participate in the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply program, you need to do nothing.

All eligible NSTAR Basic Service electricity customers will be automatically enrolled and eligible for savings through the program.

6. What if I don’t want to participate in the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program?

You may choose not to participate. This is called opting out. There is no penalty for opting out. If you choose to opt out, you will continue to receive NSTAR’s Basic Service.

If you want to opt out of the program before it begins, sign and date the postcard that you receive in the mail, then place it in the mail within 30 days of the postmark on the envelope that contains it.

To opt out after the program begins, contact ConEdison Solutions at 1-866-469-8361 and tell them you want to opt out of the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program.

7. What happens if I do not mail the opt-out postcard within 30 days?

If you do not sign and return the post card within 30 days, you will be switched to ConEdison Solutions as your electricity supplier when the program begins.

8. What information do I need to opt out after the program begins?

To opt out of the program after it begins, you need your account number and service address from your electric bill.

9. Who is eligible to participate in the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply program?

All metered utility electricity customers who live within the geographic boundaries of Natick are eligible to join the program. Customers who receive Basic Service from NSTAR will be opted in automatically. All other customers must contact ConEdison Solutions at 866-469-8361 and ask to join the program.

10. What if I am with another electricity supplier, but I want to participate in the Natick program?

If you have a contract with a different electricity supplier at the time the program begins and you would like to join the program, contact ConEdison Solutions and ask to join.

We recommend that you carefully check the terms and conditions of your supplier agreement. Your ability to terminate your agreement with your supplier may be restricted.

11. When will I start receiving electricity from ConEdison Solutions?

You will start receiving electricity from ConEison Solutions on the first meter read date after the program begins. The program is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2015. Your NSTAR electric bill contains your meter read date.

12. How will the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program affect my electric bill?

You will continue to receive a single bill from NSTAR. You will continue to send bill payments to NSTAR.

After the program starts, the Supplier Services part of your bill will indicate that your electricity is now being supplied by ConEdison Solutions. The other components of your bill will not change.

13. What is the Greener Option?

The program gives you two options for electricity supply, the Standard Option and the Greener Option. The Greener Option increases the amount of green energy in your electricity supply to 100%.

14. How do I choose the Greener Option?

To choose the Greener Option, contact ConEdison Solutions at 1-866-469-8361.

15. Who do I call if my power goes out?

Call NSTAR if your power goes out, as always. NSTAR will continue to read meters, maintain distribution and transmission lines, and provide customer service. NSTAR’s customer service number is 1-800-592-2000.

16. I am currently under NSTAR budget billing. Will I retain this service?

If you participate in the Natick program, NSTAR’s budget billing will apply only to the delivery portion of your bill. The supply portion of your bill will no longer be part of budget billing. As a result, the supply portion of your electricity bill will now change from month to month, depending on how much electricity you use.

If you wish to have all portions of your electric bill included in budget billing, you should opt out of the program and remain on NSTAR Basic Service.

17. How long does the Natick Community Choice Electricity Supply Program last?

The initial electricity supply contract is until December 31, 2016. After that date, Natick will evaluate the program. If it is successful and the Town decides to continue, they will solicit competitive bids for a new electricity supply contract. If the Town decides not to continue the program, all customers will be automatically switched back to NSTAR’s Basic Service.

18. If I join the program am I still eligible for net metering?

Yes. Net metering will work in the same way as before you joined the program. Your net metering credits will continue to appear on your NSTAR bill and will continue to be calculated based on NSTAR's Basic Service price.