A chance to aggregate

A chance to aggregate

EDITOR:

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, residents of the cities of Struthers and Campbell, the village of McDonald and the townships of Austintown, Beaver, Berlin, Canfield, Coitsville, Ellsworth. Goshen, Green, Jackson, Milton, Poland, Sebring and Springfield will have an opportunity to vote on an issue that would allow their local government to pool together, or “aggregate,” their community’s electric and/or natural gas loads in an effort to save money on utility bills.

If the aggregation ballot issue passes, your local government is authorized to meet with energy suppliers, negotiate a price and make decisions about the purchase of energy service that best meets the needs of your community. While most residents will automatically be included in the group, they still will have the option of withdrawing from the program if they so choose. Customers who have already selected an alternative supplier are not eligible to participate.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, encourages residents to learn more about the aggregation process and the potential savings opportunities it may provide. The OCC’s fact sheet, “The Basics of Governmental Aggregation,” gives residents a detailed overview of the program and how it works can be obtained by contacting the OCC toll free at 1-877-PICKOCC or visiting www.pickocc.org.

JANINE L. MIGDEN-OSTRANDER

Consumers’ counsel

Columbus