How aggregation works

Municipal electricity aggregation is a form of group electricity purchasing. Electricity aggregation replaces your electricity supplier, and it changes the price that your electric utility (Eversource or National Grid) uses to calculate the Supply charge portion of your electric bill. In addition, aggregation can increase the amount of renewable energy in your electricity supply. But electricity aggregation does not replace Eversource or National Grid as your electric utility.

Here’s how it works:

Without Sharon Power Choice

(Unless you already have a contract with an electricity supplier)

Typically, your electric utility provides two services to you as an electricity customer, and your electric bill includes charges for both of these services:

Electricity delivery

Your utility’s primary role is to deliver electricity. Their responsibilities also include maintaining the delivery infrastructure (the poles and wires) and addressing power outages. They charge you for these services in the Delivery portion of your electric bill.

Electricity supply

Your utility can also provide a second service, which is to supply your electricity. This means your utility purchases electricity on your behalf and charges you for the amount you use in the Supply portion of your electric bill. When your utility supplies your electricity, their Basic Service price is used to calculate the Supply portion of your bill. Basic Service prices change seasonally. When you first open your electricity account, you are placed on your utility’s Basic Service.

The diagram below shows your utility both delivering and supplying electricity.

With Sharon Power Choice

In an electricity aggregation like Sharon Power Choice, you remain a customer of your electric utility (Eversource or National Grid). They continue to deliver your electricity, and you continue to call them when the power goes out. They also continue to send your electric bill, and you continue to send bill payments to them.

However, your utility no longer supplies (buys) your electricity. As a result, you no longer have their Basic Service price for the Supply portion of your electric bill.

Instead, the Town of Sharon uses the group buying power of the community to sign a contract with an electricity supplier and establish an electricity Supply price for the community. Your utility then uses a Sharon Power Choice price instead of their own Basic Service price to calculate the Supply portion of your bill. Sharon Power Choice prices are typically fixed, long-term prices that do not change seasonally.

Through the program, the Town can also choose to buy more electricity from renewable sources than is required by state law. For participants in the Sharon Power Choice Standard and Sharon Power Choice Green options, Sharon buys more electricity from renewable sources than is required by law.

What remains the same

Otherwise, your primary relationship for electricity will remain with your electric utility. This means:

• You will continue to receive one bill from Eversource or National Grid. This is the only electric bill you will receive as a participant in Sharon Power Choice.
• You will continue to call Eversource or National Grid if your power goes out. Your electric utility will continue to deliver your electricity, restore electricity service after a power outage, and maintain the poles and wires.
• If you have solar panels on your property or participate in a community solar program, you will continue to receive solar credits and/or solar incentive payments, and participating in Sharon Power Choice will not change how they are calculated.
• If you are eligible for a low-income discount or fuel assistance, you will continue to receive that benefit.