New Campton electricity plan has 'renewable' option
Campton Hills trustees have inked a 12-month deal with a new electricity supplier as part of the village's ongoing participation in electric aggregation. The plan also includes an option for residents to buy "100 percent renewable" electricity for 1/10th of a cent more per kilowatt hour.
"We just want to promote that for participants that are environmentally conscious," Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen said. "You have to pay more for it, but it's a way of giving back."
The cost for the renewable energy option adds .106 cents per kilowatt hour to a customer's rate, Johnsen said.
Overall, residents will pay 6.19 cents per kilowatt hour under the agreement approved Tuesday with Dynergy. The rate is lower than the current ComEd rate of 6.977 cents per kilowatt hour.
Johnsen said with the new deal, the village as a whole will pay an estimated $32,500 less in the coming year for the same amount of electricity. She couldn't specify how much the new plan could save a typical household per month.
Campton Hills has participated in electrical aggregation since 2012. Residents and businesses are automatically opted into the plan, through which the village contracts through an electrical provider to run electricity over ComEd's lines. Residents may opt out by calling their electrical supplier and may shop around themselves.
"We get a better discount using economies of scale," Johnsen said of the village's participation.
Village President Harry Blecker said trustees unanimously opted for the 12-month option instead of the two- and three-year plans because it is difficult to predict the trajectory of ComEd's rates.
"Going forward, there's so much uncertainty," Blecker said. "The whole thing could be 180 degrees next year."
Johnsen said residents should notice the new electric rates in their September utility bills.