Electric Aggregation Information
For more information and program details, you may review these frequently asked questions or visit the North Shore Electricity Aggregation webpage.
April 16, 2013
It has come to the Village's attention that residents may be receiving calls from a source that indicates affiliation with ComEd. The caller is informing residents that the new ComEd rates are dropping 20% and that they should consider leaving the Village's electric aggregation provider, mc2, and return to ComEd. Other suppliers of other towns are reporting these types of calls as well.
To clarify, mc2’s prices are lower than ComEd’s new rates and continue to provide savings against ComEd's rates. These call could also be a scam where residents are being asked for their account numbers, and they can potentially be changed to another electrical service provider under false pretenses and without proper informed consent. If a resident does receive such a call, the following steps should be taken:
- DO NOT give out your ComEd account number to anyone – this could be a scam
- Attempt to get a name or a return phone number for the caller
- If you have Caller ID, please note the inbound phone number
All Skokie mc2 customers should check their ComEd bill to be sure that their electric supplier continues to be mc2. If a resident or small business believes a change in electrical supplier has been made without proper consent or they have received false or misleading information from any electricity supplier or other entity, a complaint can be filed by contacting the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1-800/524-0795, or by using the ICC’s on-line complaint process at http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint/wizard.aspx. Residents and small businesses can also file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-243-0618 or http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html.
April 3, 2013
North Shore Residents to Realize Additional Savings in Second Year of Electrical Aggregation Program
Residents and businesses in Consortium communities save over $26 million in first year
In the first successful year of a three-year contract with MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (“mc2”), residents and businesses of member communities comprising the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium (“Consortium”) are projected to realize savings of over $26 million off of Commonwealth Edison (“ComEd”) residential electricity rates, with individual customers saving approximately $366 on average through the first 12 months of participation.
Beginning last June, mc2 became the Consortium’s alternative electricity supplier and has supplied power to almost 70,000 Consortium customers since that time. For the second year of the three-year contract, the Consortium has secured electricity rates of 4.990 cents per kilowatt-hour (“kWh”) for June 2013 through May 2014 billing cycles for residential and eligible small commercial customers. Last week, ComEd announced that its residential rate for the same period will be 6.047 cents per kWh*. The Consortium’s rate represents a modest 3% increase over the current Consortium rate of 4.836 cents/kWh, and results in savings of more than 17% when compared to ComEd’s new rates. Certain small business customers and space heat customers are expected to save even more under mc2’s new rates
January 4, 2013
Click here to view a video highlighting five “red flags” consumers should look out for when approached by alternative energy marketers.
Beginning in summer 2012, residents and small businesses in Skokie experienced significantly lower electricity rates*. In the first year alone, Skokie residents and small businesses are expected to save between 26% and 47% on the supply portion of their electricity bills.
On March 20, 2012, residents of Skokie approved a referendum authorizing the Village to buy electricity in bulk from a supplier other than ComEd. After an extensive bidding process, the Village of Skokie, through the North Shore Consortium, selected MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (mc2), to provide electricity supply. The contract through mc2 provides service until 2015, unless ComEd rates become lower.
For more information and program details, you may review these frequently asked questions or visit the North Shore Electricity Aggregation webpage.
Below is a list of updates provided to the community through the referendum and provider selection process.
August 16, 2012
Comparing ComEd’s current rate to the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium’s (“Consortium”) Supply Rate, the Consortium is pleased to announce that customers in the Consortium’s program have saved $2,838,785 during the months of June/July. Using a historical comparison of electricity use of the Consortium’s customers, it is anticipated that from June 2012 to May 2013 Consortium customers will save over $25 million off the supply charge on their electric bill. This substantial savings clearly represents the positive impacts the Electricity Aggregation process has brought to all eight member communities.
The Consortium encourages its residents to stay informed about the aggregation process. All Consortium communities have received phone calls from residents indicating that other energy suppliers have solicited their businesses and may be representing themselves as the Consortium’s provider. The Consortium will only communicate with our residents and businesses through official letterhead or on our official websites and will not make phone calls or house visits soliciting business. If you are concerned about phone calls that you are receiving, contact the Illinois Commerce Commission at 1‐800‐524‐0795. The Illinois Commerce Commission is the regulating body of all electric suppliers in Illinois.
July 13, 2012
Many Skokie residences and businesses received electric bills from ComEd this week. Following is some important information about electrical service in the community under the new electric aggregation contract:
- Even with the new electrical supplier MC Squared Energy Services (MC2), resident bills will still come from ComEd as the utility will continue to deliver electricity to Skokie residents and small businesses that have not opted out of the new program.
- The switch to MC Squared supplied rates happened during the week of July 9. Thus, savings due to the new electric aggregation agreement will be seen on the next round of bills, and subsequent bills.
- When reading your electricity bill, the portion of the bill entitled "Electricity Supply Services" is the component on which you will incur savings under the new electric aggregation agreement.
For more information, please visit www.NorthShoreElectricityAggregation.com or call 888/808-7731.
July 5, 2012
The Village of Skokie is currently providing a municipal energy supply option through MC Squared Energy Services (MC2). This money-saving program is for all Skokie residents. All Skokie residents who did not voluntarily opt-out of the program are currently being enrolled. MC2 is the only vendor that the Village is working with. Residents who receive calls or door-to-door solicitation from other companies or business do not need to provide their ComEd account numbers or provide a signature to receive the municipal energy option.
June 11, 2012
Early in the week of June 11, 2012, mc2, the Village's new electricity supplier under the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium purchase, will mail a post card to every home in Skokie regarding purchasing "green power". The post card provides a very brief explanation of the residents' option to purchase "green" electrical energy at a nominally increased cost. Residents can attend an informational meeting with mc2 at Village Hall on the evening of Tuesday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, please visit www.NorthShoreElectricityAggregation.com or call 888/808-7731.
Click here to download a copy of the post card.
April 18, 2012
Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen announced on April 17 a new rate for electricity that will yield at least a 41% savings off the current Commonwealth Edison residential electricity rate. This new rate saves residential and small business customers hundreds of dollars annually. The North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium ("Consortium"), made up of Skokie, Deerfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Northbrook and Park Ridge, recently negotiated these savings in one the largest electrical aggregation groups in Illinois.
Over the next three years, MC Squared Energy Services, LLC ("mc²"), the Consortium's selected electricity supplier, will supply power to an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 Consortium customers. Through the Consortium, Skokie locked in electricity rates of 4.836 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) through the May 2013 ComEd billing cycle. The current ComEd residential rate is 8.233 cents per kWh. New rates provided through mc² are anticipated to begin in June and July, 2012.
Official correspondence regarding electricity aggregation will be mailed in late April to Skokie eligible residential and small business customers via regular postal service. From that time, customers have 21 days to determine if they want to "opt-out" of the municipal program. Under this "opt-out" program, all residential and small commercial retail customers (those whose annual usage is 15,000 kWh or less) will be switched automatically to mc², unless the customer affirmatively opts-out of the program and chooses to continue service through ComEd or another provider. Residents and small businesses that have already switched to an alternative provider will be able to "opt-in" to the municipal aggregation program; those residents and businesses should contact mc² directly at 888/808-7731 or email at NorthShore@MC2energyservices.com for more information about registration.
mc² responded to the Consortium's request for proposals for electricity aggregation services and was the lowest responsible bidder of seven vendors that submitted proposals. As part of the agreement with mc², the Consortium communities will review electricity rates annually within the 36-month time period to ensure that customers are always receiving a rate that is lower than the ComEd Rate.
On March 20, voters in Skokie approved a referendum authorizing the Village to operate an "opt-out" electricity aggregation program. Through an intergovernmental agreement, the Consortium has been working together since December 2011 and engaged the consulting firm Intelligent Power Partners and the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP to provide professional expertise to the Consortium.
In the future, residents will also have the option to purchase renewable energy resources through a Green Power Program that purchases renewable energy certificates. A letter will be sent to eligible residents and small businesses explaining this option.
To learn more about mc², please visit www.mc2energyservices.com. For additional information please visit www.skokie.org or call Max Slankard at 847/933-8427 or max.slankard@skokie.org.
March 20, 2012
Skokie voters overwhelmingly approved the referendum on the March 20, 2012 primary ballot asking if the Village should be given authority to seek competitive pricing for electricity services and to enter into a single contract for residents and small businesses. A total of 71.06 percent of Skokie voters cast ballots in favor of the referendum, with 28.94 percent voting against.
Many Skokie residents have reported receiving calls from alternative suppliers and have expressed that they do not have all the information they need to make an educated choice regarding their electric service. The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is a great resource for residents who are evaluating their options. CUB's Guide to Municipal Electricity Aggregation can be found by clicking here. CUB can be reached directly at 800/669-5556.
Skokie is among eight north suburban towns that formed a consortium to work together on potential electricity cost savings, and identical referendum questions were approved in each of the other towns. If the Village of Skokie and other towns are able to secure reduced electrical rates, Skokie residents and small businesses will be included in the new program which will save them money on their electric bills. Residents and small businesses will be able to 'opt out' of the new program if, for some reason, they don't find it beneficial.
Village staff presented an updated report on the consortium's efforts to secure reduced electric supply service rates at the April 2 Village Board meeting.
For more information please see the links below.