Frequently Asked Questions about your community’s Electric & Natural Gas Aggregation Program
Franklin Township – Tuscarawas County
Your community’s current Electric Aggregation Program started in June of 2023 and ends May 31, 2025. Participants in this program are enjoying a fixed rate of $0.0687 per kWh.
Your community’s Gas Aggregation Program Started in June of 2023 and runs through May 31, 2025, at a rate of $0.589 per Ccf.
To date, residents who are participating in the Franklin Township gas and electric aggregation program have saved a combined total of $727,000.00.
Community Choice Aggregation: What you need to know
Q. What is aggregation?
A. Governmental aggregation is an easy and effective way for a large group of consumers to save money on their energy bills. Under governmental aggregation, local officials bring citizens together to gain group buying power for the purchase of competitively priced electricity or natural gas from a retail generation supplier certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Q. How is my community able to choose a certified generation supplier on my behalf?
The governmental aggregation issue was placed on the ballot and passed with a majority vote. Here is an Example Ballot Question: “Shall Franklin Township have the authority to aggregate the retail electric and/or gas loads, and for that purpose, enter into service agreements to facilitate for those loads the sale and purchase of electricity and natural gas, such aggregation to occur automatically except where any person elects to opt out?”
Q. How do residents join a governmental aggregation program?
A. Once passed, all eligible residents and small businesses in the community will be enrolled and will begin receiving the communities negotiated pricing under the program. Residents do not need to do anything to join the program. However, anyone who does not want to participate in the program can easily opt out by calling the suppliers toll-free number or returning a form, which will be mailed to all eligible members.
Q. What does opt-out mean?
A. “Opt out” means that you can decide not to participate in your community’s aggregation program. By returning the opt-out form, sent to you approximately 90 days AFTER approval, by the opt-out deadline, you will not be enrolled as an electric and natural gas generation customer with your community’s competitive generation supplier, and you will not receive the negotiated rate.
Q. What happens if I do not send in the opt-out form?
A. Governmental aggregation is designed so it is easy for residents to participate. So, if you do not return the opt-out form postmarked by the due date, you will be included in the community’s aggregation program and will begin receiving competitively priced electricity and natural gas from the community’s competitive generation supplier.
Q. Can I opt-out of the program at a later date?
A. Yes, once enrolled. PUCO rules require you receive a notice every three years (electric) asking if you wish to remain in the program. If your local aggregation term ends prior to the PUCO requirement, you will be given an opportunity to opt out at that time. However, you can leave the program at any other time for any reason with no cancellation fee from the supplier.
Q. What are my energy supply choices if I decide to opt out?
A. You stay with your current utility who will place you with a supplier of their choice and will continue to supply your electricity and natural gas as it always has, or you can shop for an alternative generation supplier.
Q. What if I’ve already selected an alternative generation supplier?
A. If you have already chosen an alternate supplier and aggregation is approved by the voters, you will stay with your chosen supplier and you will not be sent an opt-out letter. Again, since you are currently with another supplier, we simply remove you from the program at the beginning. You will have the option to join the aggregation program when you decide it’s best; the choice is yours.
Q. What if I’ve already selected an alternative generation supplier?
A. Your local electric and natural gas utilities will be responsible for the delivery of power and natural gas to your home or business. Since your local electric utility still owns the wires and poles that deliver power to you, it will continue to read your meter and restore power after an outage. The aggregation program will have no impact upon the reliability of service you receive.