Manchester Residents' Electric Bills To Drop Under Energy Aggregation Program

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township residents should expect to see a decrease in their electric bills beginning this summer after the Township Council approved a community energy aggregation program recently.

Residents will receive detailed information on the program beginning in April, township officials said in a news release. All residents except those with solar panels and those already enrolled in an energy program are included, officials said. And though all other residents are enrolled automatically, you can ask to be removed from the program. The information packet will include directions on how to opt out, officials said.

Residents will have 30 days to notify the program of their desire to opt out, which can be done by returning a postcard or by calling a designated phone number, officials said.

In addition to the information packet, public information sessions will be scheduled to answer residents' questions, officials said.

Manchester officials have been weighing proposals for participating in an energy aggregation program for a few years, including talks in 2016 about entering a cooperative agreement with Lacey and Stafford townships. But the township, which wanted the ability to terminate the contract if JCP&L's rates fell below that of the chosen supplier, backed off when that could not be accomplished in the contract, officials said.

The current program, approved by the Manchester council at a special meeting on Feb. 28, is with TriEagle Energy, which forecasted a savings of 15.6 percent over JCP&L's rates on the energy generation portion of electric bills when the program begins in June 2017. JCP&L will continue to service residents’ homes while the electricity will be delivered by TriEagle Energy, officials said.

This lower rate will be locked in for 24 months, although the township retains the right to renegotiate an even lower rate should JCP&L’s basic rate become lower than the rate offered by TriEagle Energy, officials said. After the contract term, officials will assess all options before entering into another agreement.

Residents who are on budget billing plans can remain on that plan, and those who enroll in the energy aggregation program have the option to use budget billing in the future, officials said. Additionally, customers may continue to contact JCP&L — just as they do now — for any questions (including billing), outage reports, or other concerns.

"Residents can rest assured that there are no hidden catches to this program should they decide to enroll. The township paid no expenses to implement this program, as Gabel & Associates, our designated energy aggregator, solicited bids and will administer the program," officials said. Customers may continue to contact JCP&L — just as they do now — for any questions (including billing), outage reports, or other concerns.

“I am excited for all Manchester residents to start saving on their costs for electricity. In this economy, every penny counts, especially for our residents on a fixed income,” Mayor Kenneth Palmer said.

Taking into consideration the many residents who live in retirement villages and rely only on electricity for all of their energy needs, including for heat, the program promises to provide some relief, Council President Sam Fusaro said.

"The energy aggregation contract will definitely save our residents money each month on their electric bills,” Fusaro said.

The contract with TriEagle includes a termination provision, ensuring that residents are never locked into an unfavorable rate and will always receive the best price for their electricity. Further, the contract was reviewed and recommended by the State Board of Public Utilities, officials said.

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