Frequently Asked Questions About NOPEC’s Electric Program

Lakewood is a NOPEC community. That means that the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC), a not- for-profit council of governments, serves us as an energy “aggregator,” negotiating better deals on electricity and natural gas. NOPEC customers in our community have been saving money through a deal for electricity service that NOPEC agreed to with First Energy Solutions, with residential customers saving 6 percent and commercial customers saving 4 percent on the generation portion of their electric bills, compared with what they would have been paying to a utility. In addition, NOPEC has been funding an additional 1 percent discount that shows on your residential bill as “NOPEC Customer Credit.”

First Energy Solutions recently chose to terminate its contract with NOPEC. NOPEC now is in active discussions with suppliers to provide electricity for customers in our community at a discounted rate.

Here’s a Q&A designed to answer your questions about your electricity supply. For more information, visit our website at www.nopecinfo.org/electricupdate. You may also call 855-639-8159.

1. What does this mean for me, the customer? Am I going to have electricity? Yes. Your electricity will continue to flow. Throughout the process of finding a new supplier, there will be no disruption of service for NOPEC customers.
2. So, my electricity will definitely not be shut off? Correct, your electricity will not be shut off. There will be no disruption of service for our NOPEC customers because of the changing of suppliers.
3. What should I, the customer, be doing? You should do nothing. Your discounts through NOPEC’s current supplier will continue until January. NOPEC plans to have a sound and financially strong supplier under contract shortly, ready to deliver electricity to NOPEC customers at a favorable rate.
4. What happened? FirstEnergy Solutions informed NOPEC on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 that it was terminating its contract with NOPEC, effective January 2017.
5. What is NOPEC doing in response to this early termination? NOPEC is currently in discussions with new suppliers to continue to provide electricity at a discounted rate for its customers. NOPEC over the past 15 years has saved customers about $250 million and added many other values that benefit our communities and customers.
6. What did the contract with FirstEnergy Solutions provide for me, and how will it change? In Jan. 1, 2010, FirstEnergy Solutions entered into a nine-year contract with NOPEC to supply electricity to NOPEC customers. As a result of that deal, NOPEC residential customers saved 6 percent and commercial customers saved 4 percent on the generation portion of their electric bills, compared with what they would have been paying to a utility. In addition, NOPEC has funded an additional 1 percent discount that shows up on your electric bill as “NOPEC Customer Credit.” NOPEC is focused on getting our customers an excellent, financially strong electricity supplier and a deal that will allow them to continue to experience the many benefits NOPEC has become known for delivering to our customers.
7. When NOPEC finds a new supplier to provide a discounted rate, what do I need to do to receive that rate? You should do nothing. When NOPEC contracts with a new electricity supplier, NOPEC will send a new notice to you with an option for you to “opt-out.” If you are happy with the new rate, you do not need to do anything and your discount will automatically be applied to your bill. If you do not want to reap the benefits of NOPEC’s new rate, you can fill out the “opt-out” form and return it to NOPEC within 21 days of the mailing date. If you opt-out, you will return to the utility’s standard service offer.

   For 15 years, the great majority of customers in NOPEC communities have signed up for NOPEC’s significant savings. NOPEC was started by communities like yours that recognized deregulation was an opportunity for a not-for-profit energy “aggregator” that could help communities negotiate better deals on electricity and natural gas.

   It has worked for the roughly 500,000 NOPEC customers in 12 Northern Ohio counties who have saved money on their utility costs and gotten other benefits from NOPEC.

   Nothing that has happened will change that.

For more information, visit our website at www.nopecinfo.org/electricupdate. You may also call 855- 639-8159.