Westborough Community Choice Program - Renewed Contract

New Westborough Community Choice Program Price will offer continued relief from winter National Grid Basic Service prices

New electricity supply contract locks in a price for 33 months until November 2020

Westborough, MA. Beginning with February 2018 meter reads, the price for the Westborough Community Choice Standard offering will change to 9.318 cents/kWh. The new price will offer a savings of 3.355 cents/kWh under National Grid’s winter Basic Service price of 12.673 cents/kWh. At the same time, the program’s Greener Option price, which provides 100% green energy, will change to 10.004 cents/kWh, which will offer a savings of 2.669 cents/kWh under National Grid’s winter Basic Service price.

The change is the result of a new 33-month contract with a new electricity supplier, Public Power. The contract with Public Power will take effect with February 2018 meter reads as the current program contract with Constellation comes to an end, and will run until November 2020 meter reads. Participants will see the new price and the name Public Power under the Supply Services portion of their March 2018 National Grid electric bill, which covers electricity use in February. The new price applies to all rate classes, including residential, small business, and medium and large business accounts.

“Our goal with this program was to provide real value to the community, and I believe we have been successful,” said Westborough Town Manager Jim Malloy. “Not only has the program provided two years of price stability while electricity prices have increased in Massachusetts, it has also provided savings. The Westborough Community Choice program is on track to save Westborough residents and businesses a total of more than $660,000 in its first two years. With the new contract, we were able to lock in a competitive price that continues to provide savings now, and that will provide more than two and a half years of price stability into the future.”

Westborough Community Choice is a municipal electricity aggregation. By bulk purchasing electricity for the entire community through this program, Westborough is working to make electricity costs more predictable and more stable, and to give participants a Town-vetted alternative to National Grid’s Basic Service and to other electricity supply offers in the marketplace.

The program offers two alternatives to National Grid’s Basic Service:

• The Standard offering is the default program offering. The Standard offering will be available under the new contract for 9.318 ¢/kWh.
• The Greener Option is an option that provides 100% green energy for 10.004 ¢/kWh under the new contract. Program participants may switch to the Greener Option by calling the program’s electricity supplier, Public Power, at 1-800-830-2944.

Customers who are currently enrolled in the program under the Town’s existing contract with Constellation will be automatically enrolled under the new contract, as will any new National Grid Basic Service customer. Customers who have their own supplier agreement or chose to opt out of Westborough’s contract with Constellation, but wish to join the program under the Public Power contract, can call Public Power at 1-800-830-2944 and ask to be enrolled in the Westborough Community Choice program.

The new prices will be in effect from February 2018 meter reads through November 2020 meter reads. When this new Public Power electricity supply contract ends, Westborough will have the choice to either negotiate a new electricity supply contract or return all program participants to National Grid’s Basic Service.

The electricity aggregation program rates impact the only Supply Services portion of participants’ National Grid electricity bills. When the contract with Public Power takes effect, program participants will see their supplier change from Constellation to Public Power, and they will see their electricity supply price change to the new rate of 9.318 cents/kWh.

Additional details, including information on how to switch from one option to another or opt out of the program, are available at www.masspowerchoice.com/westborough. Customer support is available from the Town’s consultants by email at westborough@masspowerchoice.com or by phone at 1-844-483-5004.