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 National Grid uses to calculate the supply services charges on your electricity bill. In addition, aggregation can increase the amount of renewable energy in your electricity supply. But electricity aggregation does not replace National Grid as your electric utility.

Here’s how it works:

Without the Chelmsford Choice program

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

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

Electricity Delivery

 National Grid’s primary role is to deliver your 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 Services portion of your electric bill.

Electricity Supply

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

The diagram below shows National Grid both delivering and supplying electricity.

Diagram describing how delivery and supply works without Chelmsford Choice. Detailed description above after the header Without the Chelmsford Choice program.

With Chelmsford Choice

In an electricity aggregation like Chelmsford Choice, you remain a National Grid customer. 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, National Grid no longer supplies (buys) your electricity. As a result, you no longer have National Grid’s Basic Service price for the Supply Services portion of your electric bill.

Instead, the Town of Chelmsford 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. National Grid then uses a Chelmsford Choice price instead of their own Basic Service price to calculate the Supply Service portion of your bill. Chelmsford 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 Greener and Greenest options, Chelmsford buys more renewable electricity than is required by law.

Diagram describing how delivery and supply works with Chelmsford Choice. Detailed description above after the header with Chelmsford Choice.

What changes on your bill

If you participate, you will see two changes on your electric bill beginning the month after you are enrolled:

  1. Chelmsford’s electricity supplier will be listed on your National Grid bill as your electricity supplier.
  2. National Grid will use a Chelmsford Choice price to calculate the Supply Services portion of your electric bill instead of their Basic Service price.

What does not change on your bill

Otherwise, your primary relationship for electricity will remain with National Grid. This means:

  • You will continue to receive one bill from National Grid. This is the only electric bill you will receive as a participant in Chelmsford Choice.
  • You will continue to call National Grid if your power goes out. National Grid 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 Chelmsford Choice will not change how they are calculated.
  • If you are eligible for a low-income discount, you will continue to receive that discount.

View an example National Grid bill

Enrolling in Chelmsford Choice

Chelmsford Choice uses an automatic enrollment model, which is in accordance with state law. New electricity customers in Chelmsford will be eligible for automatic enrollment in Chelmsford Choice within a few months of opening their electricity account. Before being automatically enrolled, you will receive a notification in the mail from the Town of Chelmsford with information about the program.

You may also choose to request enrollment. Learn more about requesting enrollment.

Participation is not required. You may opt out before being automatically enrolled or any time after enrollment, with no penalty. If you choose to opt out, National Grid will remain your electricity supplier, and they will use their own Basic Service price to calculate the Supply Services portion of your electric bill.

What changes with the program

If you participate, you will see two changes on your National Grid electric bill beginning the month after you are enrolled:

  1. Chelmsford’s electricity supplier, Dynegy, will be listed on your bill as your electricity supplier
  2. National Grid will use the Chelmsford Choice price to calculate the Supply Services portion of your electric bill instead of their own Basic Service price.

View an example National Grid bill.

Otherwise, your primary relationship for electricity will remain with National Grid. This means:

  • You will continue to receive one bill from National Grid. This is the only electricity bill you will receive as a participant in Chelmsford Choice.
  • You will continue to call National Grid if your power goes out. National Grid will continue to deliver electricity, restore electricity service after a power outage, and maintain the poles and wires.
  • If you receive net metering credits or solar incentive payments, you will continue to receive them, and participating in Chelmsford Choice will not change how they are calculated.
  • If you are eligible for a low-income discount, you will continue to receive that discount.

Participating in the program

All new electricity customers in Chelmsford will be eligible for automatic enrollment in Chelmsford Choice within a few months of opening their account. The program uses an automatic enrollment model in accordance with state law. 

You will receive a notification with program details in the mail from the Town before being automatically enrolled. If you do not wish to participate, you may opt out before being automatically enrolled or at any time after enrollment, with no penalty. If you choose to opt out, National Grid will continue to be your electricity supplier and will use their own Basic Service price to calculate the Supply Services portion of your electric bill.

Learn how to enroll if you will not be automatically enrolled.