10/11/2023

Lemon Township , along with several other Butler County townships and villages, will vote on electrical aggregation in their communities at the polls November 7.  As well as Lemon Township, electrical aggregation is on the ballot November 7 in Reily, Oxford, Milford, Ross and Wayne townships as well as Seven Mile, Millville, Monroe, New Miami, Jacksonburg Trenton, and Fairfield .

This vote will determine whether officials can purchase electricity for their constituents collectively , in order to search out a better price.

Electrical aggregation is done through multiple steps. First, voters need to pass the bill. After the bill is passed, the township-using an electrical aggregation consultant- will begin a formal bidding process, where certified electricity providers submit contracts to be considered by the township. Once the township decides on a supplier and signs a contract, households will begin to get electricity from their new provider.

Because aggregation is an opt-out program, if it is approved households that wish to stay with Duke Energy or their previous energy provider will need to respond to a letter sent out by the township.

The main benefit of electrical aggregation , compared to using the township’s default energy provider Duke Energy, will be a lower rate for customers. The township will solicit bids to serve all the customers in the township.

The township is working with Energy Alliances, a consulting and supply company located in Cincinnati. Tim Abbott, Energy Alliances’ director of communications, said that the fee is paid by suppliers  during the bidding process. Instead of customers or the township directly paying for their services, the aggregator’s fees are incorporated into the bidding process. Because the energy market is complex, and buying electricity is “ like playing the stock market” it can be difficult to manage as an individual, Abbott said. “ When buying a lot more electricity the energy consultant or broker has an opportunity to negotiate prices with energy suppliers on behalf of however many customers are in this block”

In the past, before the market was deregulated, the utility made the power and distributed the power, and that’s all knew, Abbot said.” Then that was deregulated , it created a situation where customers now have to educate themselves and make sure that they’re getting a fair value for their electricity. “

Electricity will still be delivered by Duke Energy and electricity bills will still be paid the same way by all households, regardless of electrical provider. The only charge customers will see is different price a the end of the month.

 

Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 17th a 7PM in the Monroe Elementary School cafeteria .