PRESS RELEASE

Date:  September 30, 2021
From: Jeff Haarmann, Managing Partner (AGE)
Contact:  Jeff Haarmann (618) 204-0115

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Amid rising energy costs, municipalities throughout the Miami Valley region have locked in long term, fixed rates for residents through their municipal electric aggregation programs.

Affordable Gas + Electric (AGE) serves as the exclusive consultant for municipal aggregation programs for the communities of Sidney, Bellefontaine, Greenville, Urbana, West Milton, Fort Loramie, Russia, Botkins, Bradford, Covington, Newberry Township, Belle Center, Anna, Ansonia, DeGraff, Quincy, Coldwater, Fort Recovery, Jeffersonville, and Lockington.

“Energy markets have been on the rise throughout the year due to a tight natural gas storage in the US and an increased focus on cleaner, green energy production,” said AGE’s Managing Partner, Jeff Haarmann. “Our communities were able to offer their residents some rate certainty by locking in a low fixed rate for the next three years.”

The group chose to lock in a 36-month fixed rate of $0.0499/kWh from Energy Harbor following a competitive bidding process coordinated by AGE. The new rate will begin with the January 2022 bills and run through the January 2025 billing cycles.

New under this contract is an accompanying opt-in program for aggregation customers wishing to source their electric supply from fully renewable sources. Residents may choose to opt-in to this voluntary program. The rate for the 100% renewable energy offer is $0.0556/kWh.

Ohio law requires that residents and eligible mercantile accounts be made aware of the contract rate change and new Opt-Out notices will be sent to all eligible households and businesses currently participating in the aggregation program and those eligible who are currently on AES Ohio’s electric supply service. This will include those who have previously opted out of the program during previous contracts. The notices are expected to begin arriving in local mailboxes on October 18th.

Notices will not be sent to residents and mercantile accounts who currently receive their electric supply service as the result of exercising their ability to contract their own supplier/rate outside the aggregation program. By regulation, individuals on utility assistance programs are not permitted to participate in aggregation programs.

Residents wishing to remain in their community’s aggregation program may simply ignore the mailing and will automatically be enrolled under the new rate. Those residents wishing to opt-in to the new 100% renewably sourced program can contact Energy Harbor via phone or enroll in the offer on Energy Harbor’s website www.energyharbor.com/communities.

Those residents wishing to shop for their own rate or opt out of the city’s program should complete and return the Opt-Out Form included in the mailer.

Those individuals not receiving a notice but interested in additional details about the City’s aggregation program should contact Energy Harbor, LLC at 866.636.3749 and have their AES account number available at the time of the call.