Liberty residents will net discount from aggregation

By Linda Linonis

The township is a member of North East Ohio Public Energy Council.

LIBERTY — Liberty Township has secured a 12 percent discount on the electric-generation portion of township residents’ First Energy bill, beginning with the August meter reading.

June Smallwood, parks and special projects director, said the discount is available to residents because of the electric aggregation program offered in the township. Liberty is a member of the North East Ohio Public Energy Council, a nonprofit governmental utility organization. She said the discount will be available to township residents, who number just under 13,000, and small businesses.

She noted that the “load amount” — individual usage — determines the cost.

Any resident who signs an agreement with another independent electric supplier will not be eligible to receive the automatic discount through the township plan.

“NOPEC searches to buy electric or gas from utility companies to find the best rate,” Smallwood said. “Since the deregulation of gas and electric, the burden is on the consumer.”

Smallwood said Liberty’s participation in the electric aggregation program is taking the burden off the consumer.

But, she said, township residents will receive an “opt out” mailer in the next few weeks for those wishing to select an electric supplier.

A press release from NOPEC, which is based in Solon, noted that it has partnered with Gexa Energy Ohio to provide competitively priced electricity in Northeast Ohio.

NOPEC said in addition to this year’s discount, there would be an 8 percent discount in 2010. Small-business customers will have a reduction of 9 percent this year and 5.5 percent in the first half of 2010.

Smallwood said Liberty also is in NOPEC’s natural-gas aggregation program. Updated figures for June through October are $8.99/mcf (measure cubic feet) and $8.42/mcf for November and December. Dominion is the supplier.

Liberty is among 126 member communities in nine northeast Ohio counties that belong to NOPEC, which has an electric-customer base of 535,000 residents and businesses.

For more information, call Smallwood at (330) 759-1315, ext. 110.