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Elburn arranges cheaper electricity for residents

Elburn residents and small businesses will join the crowd of people paying less for electricity this fall.

The village has signed a deal, on behalf of residents, with Direct Energy, it was announced Thursday.

Users will pay 5.99 cents per kilowatt-hour, about 23 percent less than what ComEd charges, starting with bills they receive in November.

Voters in April gave the village board the authority to negotiate a bulk purchase of electricity. Everyone is automatically enrolled.

Transmission, customer and metering charges will stay the same. ComEd will still be responsible for repairs to lines. The bills will still be paid through ComEd.

Customers who want to stick with ComEd, or purchase from another energy company, are free to opt out of the program.

Senior citizen pricing of 5.89 cents, and a renewable wind product price of 6.49 cents, are available. To arrange that, customers should call (866) 760-6040.

The contract is for one year.

Sugar Grove and North Aurora recently arranged such electricity deals for their residents and small businesses.

The Northern Illinois Municipal Electrical Cooperative brokered the sale. NIMEC, through which many towns and park districts buy electricity for use at government buildings, encouraged towns last year to conduct the so-called “opt-out” aggregation referendums.