Edwardsville Residents Will Be Automatically Enrolled When Electricity Aggregation Program Returns In February

EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville renewed the municipal electricity aggregation program this fall with a new supplier, Constellation NewEnergy. This is an “opt-out” program, meaning that residents will be enrolled in it automatically unless they choose a different supplier.

Since the start of this program, the City’s goal has been to insulate residents from the continued rise in electric supply rates by joining other municipalities in a competitive bidding process among alternative retail electric suppliers. This process locks in the rate for a period of time, typically up to 24 months.

Because the new aggregation term doesn’t begin until February, every participating household will return to Ameren, but only for two billing cycles before the new aggregation program starts. Each household will receive a notice from Ameren confirming the return for the two-month period.

If you want to participate in the City’s aggregation program, simply do NOTHING, despite any indication to thecontrary. If you want to opt out to go with Ameren or a different supplier, you’ll be able to do so via a letter that thenew supplier, Constellation, will send to residents in mid-December. Again, unless you opt out, you’ll beautomatically enrolled when the City’s aggregation program restarts in February.

Ameren then will send residents one more letter, stating the resident’s energy supply is moving to Constellation NewEnergy and the resident has 10 days to opt out. Unless account holders opt out, they WILL be enrolled in the aggregation program, as a Constellation representative confirmed. If you do opt out and return to Ameren or another supplier, you cannot return to the aggregation program for 12 months.

Questions about the municipal aggregation program can be addressed via email at gecsi@goodenergy.com or by phone at 844-686-4244. You also may contact the City Finance Department at 618-692-7500.

Residents participating in the most recent municipal electricity aggregation program have been receiving rates of $0.0429 cents per kilowatt hour.

The competitive bidding process this time resulted in a fixed rate of $0.1210 cents for a 22-month term starting in February.

Ameren’s current price to compare as of October 1 through May 2023 is $0.12236 cents per kilowatt hour.

While the rate difference is less than past bidding has yielded, the aggregation program does offer price protection for the 22-month term if Ameren’s rates continue to rise.

The aggregation program doesn’t guarantee savings, but since its inception more than a decade ago, everyparticipating community has realized savings for its residents. Currently, upwards of 90% of all residents in the participating Metro East communities are enrolled in the program.

An important note: No one affiliated with the aggregation program will come to your door to discuss, seek or confirm enrollment. Edwardsville and the other participating municipalities partner with Good Energy L.P., the largest municipal aggregation consultant in the U.S. Good Energy is based in New York, but has regional offices in Edwardsville and Peoria.

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