HomeMy Public PortalAboutCombined Electricity Choice Media Release and Brochure ANews release — updated July 10, 2019
Watertown Electricity Choice
Watertown's electricity aggregation
program to launch in September
Town of Watertown, MA — The Town of Watertown announced that it has entered into a
contract to buy electricity for the Watertown Electricity Choice program, which will launch in
September 2019.
Watertown Electricity Choice is a municipal electricity aggregation, which is a group buy program
for electricity supply. Massachusetts State law allows cities and towns to aggregate electricity
customers within their borders and select an electricity supplier on behalf of those customers,
rather than having Eversource buy their electricity. Municipal aggregations are heavily regulated
by the State and offer many consumer protections not available with private for-profit programs.
Watertown Electricity Choice will increase the amount of renewable energy in Watertown's
electricity supply, providing an additional 35% renewable electricity over and above the state -
required minimum amount. With the increasing State renewable energy requirement Watertown
Electricity Choice will provide over50% local renewable energy in its first full year going up to 53%
in the last year of the contract.
Every 1% increase in renewable energy in Watertown's residential electrical supply will offset the
carbon emissions of an average passenger car driving over a million miles!
Watertown Electricity Choice will significantly decrease Watertown's carbon footprint leading
toward a cleaner, healthier environment. It will drive more renewable energy generation and jobs
in our area. Programs of this type provide the potential of modest savings to customers over the
program duration, although savings cannot be guaranteed as future Eversource rates are
unknown.
Another advantage of Watertown Electricity Choice will be price stability for 27 months. Prices will
be fixed from September 2019 - December 2021. The long duration of the price makes Watertown
Electricity Choice different from Eversource's Basic Service, which offers prices that change every
6 months for residential and small business customers and every 3 months for large business
customers. It also makes Watertown Electricity Choice different from many electricity supply
offers available in the marketplace, which can offer a low introductory price that rises after the
introductory period is over.
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Watertown Electricity Choice participants will see just two changes on their Eversource electricity
bill: 1) The Watertown Electricity Choice price will be used to calculate the supply charges on their
bill, and 2) Direct Energy will be listed as their electricity supplier. Otherwise, nothing else will
change. Watertown Electricity Choice participants will remain Eversource customers, and
Eversource will remain responsible for delivering their electricity and for addressing power
outages. Watertown Electricity Choice participants will continue to receive and pay just one
electricity bill from Eversource, and this will be the only electricity bill they receive as participants
in Watertown Electricity Choice.
Watertown Electricity Choice will offer residential and business electricity customers new
electricity supply choices with some important advantages. Chief among those advantages is that
the Watertown Electricity Choice Standard Offering will provide 35% renewable electricity in
addition to the state -required minimum amount of 14% for 2019. In comparison, Eversource
provides just the state -required minimum amount of 14%. The Standard Offering is the default
program offering and will be available for 11.494 cents/kWh.
In addition to the default Standard Offering, Watertown Electricity Choice will also provide two
other options:
• Those who wish to make a more significant commitment to the environment may choose the 100%
Green option, which will provide 100% local renewable electricity for 12.718 cents/kWh.
• Those who do not want any additional renewable electricity may choose the Basic option, which
will provide only the state -required 14% amount of renewable electricity for 10.654 cents/kWh.
Watertown Electricity Choice participants will be automatically enrolled in the Standard Offering
unless they opt out of the program entirely, or choose the 100% Green or Basic options.
In compliance with Massachusetts state law for municipal electricity aggregations, enrollment in
Watertown Electricity Choice will be automatic for Watertown electricity customers on
Eversource's Basic Service, which includes any electricity customer who has not signed an
agreement with an electricity supplier. Most electricity customers in Watertown will be
automatically enrolled. However, participation is not required, and Watertown electricity
customers will be able to opt out before being enrolled. If they do participate in the program, they
can also opt out at any time, penalty free.
Those who are eligible for automatic enrollment will receive a letter in the mail in July with
program information and instructions for opting out or opting up. Enrollment will occur with
September 2019 meter reads and will be seamless. Participants can expect to see the Watertown
Electricity Choice price on their Eversource electricity bill beginning in October 2019.
This informational letter and envelope will have the Town logo on it so you can be assured it is
from the Town -sponsored program. The return address under the Town logo will be C/O Direct
Energy because enrollment options will be handled by Direct Energy, our electricity supplier.
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Electricity customers who have already signed an agreement with an electricity supplier other than
Eversource will not receive a letter and will not be automatically enrolled, but they may obtain
more information about joining Watertown Electricity Choice by contacting the Town's program
consultants at support@watertownchoice.com or 1-844-278-9864.
Electricity customers who are eligible for discounts from Eversource, such as a low-income
discount, will continue to receive those same benefits as a participant in Watertown Electricity
Choice.
Customers with solar panels on their property will continue to receive net metering credits as a
participant in Watertown Electricity Choice, and those credits will continue to be calculated based
on Eversource's Basic Service price, not on the Watertown Electricity Choice price.
Tax-exempt accounts will need to submit tax exemption documentation to the Watertown
Electricity Choice electricity supplier, Direct Energy, to retain tax-exempt status.
Public information sessions to provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions about
the program will be held on:
• July 24th, 2:30-6:30pm at the Watertown Farmers Market (Saltonstall Park) — booth for questions
• July 27th, noon at the Watertown Free Public Library —formal presentation / Q&A
• August 1St, 7:OOpm at the Watertown Free Public Library — formal presentation / Q&A
• August 6th, 10:OOam at the Watertown Senior Center —formal presentation / Q&A
For more information about any aspect of Watertown Electricity Choice, visit website
WatertownChoice.com or contact the Town's program consultants at 1-844-278-9864 or
support@watertownchoice.com.
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Opt Up to 100%
Green!
Choose 100% renewable
electricity from New England
By choosing the 100% Green option, you
make a greater contribution to driving the
development of new renewable energy
projects in New England
by increasing demand
for electricity generated
by those projects.
To choose New England
Green, call Direct Energy
at 1-866-968-8065
Frequently asked questions
Will I remain an Eversource customer?
Yes. Your primary relationship for electricity will
remain with Eversource. Eversource will still be
responsible for addressing power outages and
billing you.
What will change as a result of participating in
Watertown Electricity Choice?
You will see two changes on your Eversource
electricity bill:
• The price used to calculate the supply
charge portion of your bill will change to the
Watertown Electricity Choice price
• Direct Energy will be listed as your electricity
supplier
If I participate, can I change my mind later and
leave the program?
Yes. You may opt out, or leave, the program at
any time with no fee or penalty.
If I leave the program, can I join again later?
If you opt out of the program, you can join it
again later, but you are not guaranteed the
program price when you re -enroll.
If I want to finish my current electricity supply
contract, can I join later?
Yes. You may join Watertown Electricity Choice
after your current contract ends. You will receive
the program price at the time you join.
Are savings guaranteed?
No. Savings cannot be guaranteed. Watertown
Electricity Choice prices are fixed until December
2021, but Eversource's prices change every 6
months for residential and small business customers
and every 3 months for large business customers,
so the difference between Watertown Electricity
Choice prices and Eversource prices will change
over time.
Will I receive a lower quality of service from
Eversource if I participate in Watertown
Electricity Choice?
No. Eversource makes money from the delivery
charges on your electricity bill. They do not
profit from the supply charges, so they have no
preference as to whether they are your electricity
supplier or you use a different supplier.
I am currently on Eversource's budget billing.
Will that change?
Yes. Budget billing will continue to apply to the
delivery charge portion of your bill, but it will no
longer apply to the supply charge portion. If it is
important to maintain budget billing across your
entire bill, you may wish to opt out of Watertown
Electricity Choice.
I am eligible for a low-income discount. Will I
continue to receive it?
Yes. If you are eligible for a low-income discount
from Eversource, you will continue to receive it.
I have solar panels. Will I continue to receive
net metering credits?
Yes. Your net metering credits will continue to
appear on your Eversource electricity bill, and
they will continue to be calculated based on
Eversource's Basic Service price, not on the
Watertown Electricity Choice price.
Learn more at
WatertownChoice.com
Watertown
Electricity
Choice
An electricity program
provided by the
Town of Watertown
for its residents and
businesses
WatertownChoice.com
1-844-278-9864
What kind of program
is Watertown Electricity
Choice?
Watertown Electricity Choice increases the
amount of renewable energy in Watertown's
electricity supply.
The program is a form of group electricity
purchasing known as electricity aggregation.
Under this program, Watertown will use the bulk
buying power of the community to:
Select an electricity supplier for the community
Buy more renewable electricity than the state
law requires
Provide electricity customers with electricity
choices
Obtain a stable price for electricity
Secure customer protections
Provide the potential for savings, though
savings cannot be guaranteed
Watertown Electricity Choice provides Town -vetted
alternatives to Eversource's Basic Service and to
other electricity supply offers in the marketplace.
As a program participant, you will automatically
be enrolled in the Standard Offering and receive
49% renewable electricity - 11.494 cents/kWh for
all electricity customers.
As a program participant, you will automatically
receive 35% additional renewable electricity above
the 14% minimum amount required by state law for
2019 — for a total of 49% renewable electricity.
The total amount of renewable electricity in the
Standard Offering will increase to 51% in 2020
and 53% in 2021 as the minimum amount of
renewable electricity required by Massachusetts
law increases each year.
You may also choose one of two other options:
Opt up to 100% Green and receive 100%
renewable electricity — 12.718 cents/kWh for
all electricity customers
Opt down to Basic for no additional renewable
electricity above the minimum state law
requirement — 10.654 cents/kWh for all
electricity customers
Program prices will be used to calculate the supply
charge portion of your Eversource electricity bill.
Eversource's delivery charges will not be affected
by participation in Watertown Electricity Choice.
Program prices are fixed from September 2019 -
December 2021.
To choose the 100% Green option or the Basic
option, call Direct Energy at 1-866-968-8065 or
visit WatertownChoice.com.
Participating in the program
All Eversource Basic Service electricity customers
will be automatically enrolled with their September
2019 meter read, and program prices will first
appear on October 2019 Eversource electricity bills.
This automatic enrollment model is the state law.
If you have not signed an agreement with an
electricity supplier on your own, you are an
Eversource Basic Service customer. Most Watertown
residents are Eversource Basic Service customers.
If you already have a contract with an electricity
supplier at program launch, you will not be
automatically enrolled, but you may join the
program. To enroll, please call Direct Energy at
1-866-968-8065.
Participation is not required.
You may opt out of the program
before being enrolled or any time
after enrollment with no penalty.
If you opt out, the supply charges on your Eversource
electricity bill will be calculated using Eversource's
Basic Service price.
You have three ways to opt out before being
automatically enrolled: 1) Sign and return the
reply card that you receive in the mail. 2) Call
Direct Energy at 1-866-968-8065, 3) Opt out
online at WatertownChoice.com.
If you choose to participate, you may opt out
any time after you are enrolled by calling Direct
Energy at 1-866-968-8065 or online at
WatertownChoice.com.
Program summary
Program Prices:
September 2019 - December 2021
Standard offering (default): 11.494 cents/kWh
100% Green: 12.718 cents/kWh
Basic: 10.654 cents/kWh
To compare to Eversource's current Basic Service
prices, visit WatertownChoice.com and click
"Options & Prices."
To join the program, opt up to 100% Green,
opt down to Basic, or opt out:
Call Direct Energy at 1-866-968-8065.
Power outages, service issues, and billing:
Call Eversource if your power is out, or for
service issues, at 1-800-592-2000.
Send your electricity bill payment to Eversource
or pay online at www.eversource.com.
Watertown Electricity
Choice
Learn more at
WatertownChoice.com