Energy Aggregation Program That Includes Moorestown Extended

MOORESTOWN, NJ — An energy aggregation program that includes Moorestown and nine other Burlington County towns has been extended through October of 2019, Burlington County officials announced this week. The program has been in effect since September of last year. Since then, residents have saved over $400,000, according to Burlington County Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio.

“As with any new program, there were bumps in the road as residents and the utility companies adjusted,” Garganio said. “We were able to address those issues promptly and have worked to prevent them from occurring moving forward as we extend this program and its savings for the next two years.”

Residents will be locked into a Guaranteed Savings Program, which guarantees consistent savings of 3 percent for PSE&G customers, and 5 percent for Atlantic City Electric and JCP&L customers, according to officials.

“This will prevent the experience a few residents had during the initial PILOT of receiving credits in some months after utility reconciliation discounts temporarily reduced the default rate,” Garganio said. “Now, each month, the percentage of savings will be the same.”

The new rates will only apply to residents in participating towns who have opted to stay in the county’s Energy Aggregation Program. Residents who would like to opt out, or opt back into the program can do so at any time by calling 877-292-3904 toll free.

“This adjustment to the program would allow Burlington County to once again make a ‘bulk purchase’ of energy supply, through Tri Eagle, at a rate that is guaranteed to be lower than what residents would otherwise be paying to the supplier chosen for them by their electric company,” Garganio said. “We can then offer that lower rate to our residents in participating municipalities and the 3% savings will become effective in September 2017.”

While Tri Eagle will continue to supply the electricity, PSE&G, Atlantic City Electric and JCP&L will continue to handle distribution as well as customer service issues, such as power outages. The Burlington County Bridge Commission will once again partner with the Freeholders to execute the energy aggregation program, providing technical and professional support and services.

Along with Moorestown, participating towns include Burlington City, Cinnaminson, Florence, Lumberton, Palmyra, Southampton, Riverside, Woodland, and Wrightstown.

“In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to all of our townships so that we may extend this opportunity to all Burlington County residents,” Garganio said. “This program is part of our long standing effort to fight for lower utility costs on behalf of our residents, a fight in which we have had many successes. Many will remember our public battle to stop New Jersey American Water from increasing water rates by 20 percent in 23 of our municipalities. We gathered more than 11,000 signatures from residents, and confronted the BPU through the mail and in person. When the smoke had cleared, their bid for a $95 million per year rate increase had been cut to less than a third of that amount.

“As we work to extend this cost-saving energy aggregation program, we will continue to reach out to our residents to ensure that they fully understand this opportunity and to answer any questions that they may have. Residents in participating municipalities can expect to receive information from us through the mail, online, and much more. But the bottom line is that this is a real and exciting chance to continue to put money back where it belongs, in the pockets of hard-working Burlington County residents.”

Patch file photo