Frequently Asked Questions on Retail Electricity

Aggregation Rates are Going Up

If you’re in an area with Municipal Electricity Aggregation, chances are you have already received a notice in the mail that the electric rates under the aggregation program are going up. A lot of folks have questions about the program, the prices, and the process for participating or opting out for a better rate.

What is Aggregation?

Municipal electricity aggregation, often shortened to “aggregation” is when a town or municipality forms a buying group to negotiate better electricity prices from a supplier. Think of it as a kind of collective bargaining.

Businesses and residents can then take advantage of the aggregation rate and in many cases save money. Municipal electricity aggregation has a lot of potential benefits:

• Easy to join – electric customers are automatically enrolled, you must “opt out” or you’re automatically enrolled in the program.
• Stable prices – aggregation programs lock down a price over a fixed period, no matter what else goes on in the market.
• Competitive costs (usually and initially) – by negotiating with a large group, aggregation agreements can often deliver a competitive price, especially for the initial period of the contract.

Is Aggregation Bad?

Absolutely not. It can save customers a lot of money and a lot of uncertainty in their electricity budgets, especially in the initial part of the contract. When that term ends though, the rates can and often do go up – sometimes, significantly. We’re seeing that now in many municipalities in Massachusetts. Of course, customers get notifications about pending rate changes but if they don’t take action to opt out, they may get an unpleasant surprise when they open their electric bill under the new rate.

How Can I Get Out?

First, check your rate. Maybe the new contract price is still the best you can find. But, if your rate is jumping more than 25-30%, it’s likely a good idea to look around. At Gridwealth, we are happy to provide you with a competitive bid. If it’s a better deal, we can help you switch. Get in touch and one of our energy consultants will walk you through the process.

Is There a Fee to Get Out of the Aggregation?

You are automatically enrolled at the default price. You have to opt out to get off the aggregation rate. The great news is that you can do that anytime and there is no fee or penalty to do so.

Do I have to Change My Electric Utility?

No. Lots of folks don’t know this but your electricity bill has two major parts: delivery and supply. The delivery part covers the cost of the wires to connect your building to the electrical grid (those poles and transformers aren’t free).

Supply is the actual electricity itself. Under state law, you can choose who supplies your electricity. The municipal electricity aggregation programs select a supplier for your entire town. Gridwealth is licensed supplier.

If you choose a different electricity supplier, you will still get the bill from your utility company, and the charges for the electricity you used will be on it from your new electricity supplier (we hope it’s us).

What is Gridwealth?

Gridwealth is a 10-year-old distributed energy resource firm. We offer a full spectrum of products and services to a wide range of customers and partners. We have three areas of focus.

Electricity From Gridwealth

Because we build, run, and trade within the renewable energy space, Gridwealth is better positioned than stand-alone organizations to save you money on your electricity bills.

Advantages

We are direct. There is no middleman, marking up other supplier’s rates. You are dealing directly with the supplier which ultimately saves you money.

We are integrated. Because we develop and operate renewable energy resources. We can often bundle additional discounts that stand-alone companies can’t.

We are market-focused. Gridwealth’s business is centered on serving commercial and industrial customers. We are not trying to sell to consumers, so our expertise, operations, and solutions are centered on you, the commercial and industrial customers.

We are stable and experienced. Gridwealth is not new to the energy market. We’ve been in business for over a decade.