Deadline nears to get all-green power

May 5, 2014 – Time is running out for residents to make a decision about who will provide their electricity under the Village’s community aggregation program. All-green energy from Constellation Energy is just a phone call away, but officials caution against waiting until the last minute due to high call volume. May 8 is the deadline to request 100% renewable energy from Constellation Energy. To make the change, just call 1.800.718.1493 and have your ComEd account number handy.

Residents who have participated in the Village program should have received information in the mail from the Village and Constellation with details about the new contract and consumer options.

Aggregation program participants have the following options:

• Do nothing and be be enrolled automatically in the Village’s base contract from Constellation Energy. At 7.47 cents per kilowatt hour, this is the most affordable option, but it is not green energy.
   
• Call 1.800.718.1493 to enroll in Constellation’s all-green energy option. At 7.57 cents per kilowatt hour, this option will add about $1 to the average homeowner’s monthly bill compared to the base contract. The call center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you will need your ComEd account number.
   
• Opt out of the Village aggregation program by returning the card included in the notice received by mail or by calling Constellation. 

Residents who opt out of the Village program will default to the state-approved ComEd rate unless they choose a supplier from a list of companies allowed to provide electricity in Illinois. Residents who choose to seek their own supplier are cautioned to carefully read the terms of any agreement before they decide.

Oak Parkers interested in exploring electricity suppliers other than Constel­lation, can visit www.pluginillinois.org and compare offers from a wide range of companies approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission to sell power in the state.

Regardless of who customers choose as their electricity supplier, ComEd will continue to manage the delivery system and be responsible for service problems and billing issues.

The Village Board chose Constellation Energy through an online auction on April 10. Constellation’s bid of 7.47 cents per kilowatt hour was the lowest of three proposals submitted for a contract beginning June 1.

Oak Park’s contract with Constella­tion is for one year. The Village likely will go back onto the open market in the spring of 2015 to seek new bids from electricity suppliers.

More information on the Community Choice Aggregation Program is posted at www.oak-park.us/aggregation.