Des Plaines alderman says residents could save on electric bills

Des Plaines residents could get a discount on their electric bills by switching energy suppliers through a program offered by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Des Plaines 6th Ward Alderman Mark Walsten said at this week's city council meeting.

Walsten suggested the city bring in Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Assistant Director Eve Pytel to explain the program to residents.

Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said he will try to address the topic at a future committee meeting.

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus negotiated a deal with Integrys Energy Group so residents of its member municipalities who choose to switch their energy supplier — currently ComEd — could save nearly 20 percent on their electric bills immediately.

Residents from more than 65 suburban municipalities already have independently signed on with Integrys, according to Pytel, who spoke at a recent Elk Grove Village board meeting.

The “opt-in” program is different from what many communities are doing for electrical aggregation.

On March 20, voters in nearly 300 Illinois communities, including scores of suburban towns, will decide through referendums whether they want shared electricity service from a vendor other than ComEd as part of a package deal through their village or city. If a town switches vendors, residents who don't want the new service would have to opt out.

Residents who opt in on their own with Integrys will be locked in until May 2013. If they decide to opt out once the program starts, there is a $50 fee. Residents who switch their electric supply by going to integrysenergy.com/esp. would still receive a bill from ComEd with Integrys listed as the energy supplier.

Should ComEd's price drop significantly lower than Integrys, residents' bills would automatically default to ComEd as the energy provider, according to Pytel.