Thursday, October 18, 2012
Oak Forest is one of the latest Illinois municipalities to go with electrical aggregation, and now residents can track how much they are saving, online.
In August, Oak Forest joined many other Illinois municipalities in switching over to electrical aggregation for the city's power needs. The electrical aggregation measure, which passed with 65 percent of the vote on a March 20 referendum, is estimated to save residents $300 per year. Now, the Northern Illinois Municipal Electrical Collaborative (NIMEC) has put out a new website that can show roughly what residents can expect to save per month. The website, www.mycomedbill.com, allows residents to plug in their previous electrical bill, based on kilowatt hours used, and shows how much they can expect to be savewith their respective municipality's chosen electrical aggregation rate. “Personally, I got my last bill and compared it and I was …
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Nearly all of homeowners and small businesses are making the change.
Nearly all residents and small business are going ahead with the City of Oak Forest's electrical aggregation plan. Ninety-seven percent of users have chosen the switch from ComEd to First Energy, a third-party energy supplier selected by the City. The switchover takes effect August. 6. Residents will see the new rate on their bills at the end of September or the first week of October, because of the why the meter readings and billing cycle works, according to the City. First Energy was picked in May after the City Council voted to seek a new supplier on May 8. Join the conversation. Like Oak Forest Patch on Facebook and sign up for the breaking news alerts!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Oak Forest residents will see 43 percent savings compared with ComEd's rate, city official say. This includes the added cost to guarantee 100 percent of energy comes from renewable sources.
The City of Oak Forest has selected a new energy supplier that officials said will save 43 percent off of ComEd's power rate. FirstEnergy Solutions was chosen from six companies that submitted bids after the City Council voted to seek a new supplier on May 8. One bid actually came in as the lowest, but couldn't promise a stipulation that it would guarantee a match ComEd's rates. The two-year contract will with FirstEnergy includes the cost to buy energy entirely from green sources. This added cost to secure renewable energy adds an extra 0.08 cent per kilowatt-hour, bringing the contract rate to 4.82 cents per kilowatt-hour. City officials said this is 43 percent less than rate just established by ComEd from their energy suppliers of 8.5 …
41.611247
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City of Oak Forest
15440 Central Ave, Oak Forest, IL
/articles/city-chooses-new-electricity-supplier
1354162
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
The City of Oak Forest has put a plan in place that involves going out to bid today for finding a new electricity supplier. What do you think of the plan so far?
The City Council approved a plan Tuesday for aggregating of the city's electrical load and finding a new electricity supplier. One of the first steps is to go out to bid today. Officials estimate the average savings per year for a household is $300, once a new supplier is found and starts delivering power. What do you think? Will electrical aggregation live up to the expectations? Follow Oak Forest Patch on Facebook!
41.611247
-87.756273
City of Oak Forest
15440 Central Ave, Oak Forest, IL
/articles/will-electrical-aggregation-be-all-it-s-cracked-up-to-be
1354162
/locations/6980492
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Oak Forest will push ahead with an electrical aggregation plan, which is expected to drop rates by allowing the city to find a new electricity supplier. Two aldermen raised some objections to an added cost for green energy credits.
Don't expect the ComEd name to go away but city officials are expecting electric bills to decrease as the hunt begins for a new electricity supplier. On Tuesday, the City Council authorized in a 5-2 vote the aggregation of the city's electrical load and put in place a plan to find a new electricity supplier. One of the first steps is to go out to bid on May 10. Voters passed a referendum on March 20 that asked if they wanted to allow the City of Oak Forest to have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity—known as electrical aggregation. Follow Oak Forest Patch on Facebook to see more City of Oak Forest coverage! The City estimates homeowners will see an average savings of $300 per year, based on what has been seen in other …
41.611247
-87.756273
City of Oak Forest
15440 Central Ave, Oak Forest, IL
/articles/city-electric-bills-could-drop-300-a-year
1354162
/locations/6972790
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Want to know what comes next in the electrical aggregation process? The city will hold two public hearings, and if you're feeling uninformed, you won't want to miss them.
Oak Forest is preparing to take the next steps toward electrical aggregation, starting with two public hearings slated for April 24 and May 8 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Voters OKed the electrical aggregation referendum March 20, and some residents might be wondering what happens now. Can they opt out? When does it kick in? What will the new rates be? You have questions, and the city offered some answers. Residents voted 65 to 35 percent in favor of the referendum, which only needed 51 percent of the vote to pass. Aggregation could save the city as much as $2.2 million, according to energy consultant Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC). More information will be available at each public hearing, but here are some basics…
Some residents in Oak Forest are being contacted by electrical suppliers, asking if they want to switch services now, before the city signs with a company. Patch wants to know if you've been contacted—and how you feel about it.
With the electrical aggregation referendum passed, some residents in Oak Forest have been contacting their aldermen and women with one question: Should I sign up on my own with a company or wait for Oak Forest to decide on a company? Though the initial public hearing is scheduled for April 28, electrical suppliers are already reaching out to residents, hoping to sign them up for their respective plans. Public Works Director Troy Ishler noted that residents have the option to seek out their own bids for their home or business, although should they sign a contract with a supplier they will possibly have a different rate than those who jump in on the city's winning contract. With companies already looking for residents to sign on the dotted …
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Voters Tuesday gave the City of Oak Forest the nod to seek out cheaper electricity suppliers—but what's next in the process?
After voters OKed the electrical aggregation referendum Tuesday, Oak Forest residents might be wondering what happens now. Can they opt out? When does it kick in? What will the new rates be? You have questions, and the city offered some answers. Residents voted 65 to 35 percent in favor of the referendum, which only needed 51 percent of the vote to pass. Aggregation could save the city as much as $2.2 million, according to energy consultant Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC). WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THEN WHAT? AND THEN? ...AND IF THE PROPOSED RATES ARE THE SAME AS THE CURRENT ONE? Ald. Chuck Toland (4th Ward) stressed this in an email to constituents. "...The city will do its due diligence and determine a …
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Despite low voter turnout, Oak Forest residents powered up at the polls, giving the city the go-ahead to seek lower electricity rates.
After a show of support from voters, Oak Forest leaders will work with an energy broker to seek out cheaper electricity options for residents and small businesses. Residents voted 65 to 35 percent in favor of electrical aggregation—a way to benefit from the deregulation of electricity supply by 'bundling' electric supply. Aggregation could save the city as much as $2.2 million, according to energy consultant Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC). To pass, the referendum needed only 51 percent of the vote. Some residents were skeptical two weeks prior to the vote, but decided to see what the city can do for them. "I voted Yes," wrote Oak Forest Patch Facebook fan Joan Bravo. "I'm interested to see what kind of savings …
The electrical aggregation referendum passed, but Patch knows there are residents who aren't thrilled about the idea. Tell us what you think.
The public has spoken, and 2,000 voters gave the nod to the city's quest for cheaper electricity rates. The city will work with an energy broker to identify potentially cheaper energy sources. Ald. Chuck Toland thanked readers for voting, and advised them to sit tight while the city seeks out cheaper energy options. "With the passage of this referendum, I wanted to let you know the city will do its due diligence and determine a substantial savings for the residents," Toland wrote in an email. "If there are no savings, we will not take any actions. "If we are going to make a move on your behalf, we will continue to educate the residents so that you can make the decision if you want to go along with the supplier we choose or opt out. There …
Mike F.
11:56 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Was hoping to see it on the ballot again, but it isn't :(. more ›