In today’s AUSenergy News Update: Oak Park, IL. opts for an electricity supply contract without “green” power, erroneous letters creates confusion amongst Northwester Electric Aggregation Consortium residents, and Alternative Utility Services, Inc. is issued gas service license in Pennsylvania.

Oak Park, IL opts for electricity supply contract without “green” power

Summary: Oak Park’s current electricity supply contract, which includes green power, is set to expire in May, 2014. The new contract will not include green power as it was dropped in favor of obtaining the lowest rate. However, any resident wishing to pay 0.1 cent-per-kWh more can select a greener alternative from the new supplier. The newly negotiated rate is 7.47 cents per kWh.
AUS Comment: ComEd’s energy price is set to be known by mid-May. It is likely that it will exceed 7 cents per kWh. Oak Park’s newly negotiated energy rate of 7.42 cents could potentially end up being higher than ComEd. If ComEd’s rate ends up being lower than Oak Park’s new supplier’s rate, there is no requirement for the supplier to match ComEd’s rate. If ComEd’s rate is cheaper after the price adjustment, individual customers are allowed to return to ComEd at any time with no exit fee.

Erroneous letters creates confusion amongst Northwest Electric Aggregation Consortium residents

Summary: Residents of the Northwest Electric Aggregation Consortium began receiving erroneous letters from ComEd indicating that the customer was dropped from the current service provider, Integrys Energy, and moved to ComEd. The letter also warns that the account would be locked into a 12-month contract with ComEd rates within two billing cycles without customer intervention.
AUS Comment: Since the consortium is switching aggregation providers, local leaders there believe that the ComEd system generating the letters somehow misinterpreted the switch as if the existing customers were opting out of the aggregation. Residents are advised that they do not need to take any action and should disregard the confusing letter.

Alternative Utility Services, Inc. issued gas service license in Pennsylvania

Summary: Alternative Utility Services, Inc. (AUS) has been issued a license by the Public Utility Commission of Pennsylvania under docket number A-2013-2393189. The license grants AUS the right to offer, render, furnish or supply natural gas services to residential, small commercial, large commercial, industrial and governmental customers in all natural gas service territories within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
AUS Comment: Licensing of alternative suppliers is required by the public utility commissions (PUCs) of all deregulated states. And in some states, the brokers and consultants that work within them are also required to be licensed. Alternative Utility Services complies with all PUC requirements and is in good standing in the states in which we operate.