How aggregation works

Municipal electricity aggregation is a kind of group electricity buying program for a city or town:

  • Hopkinton buys electricity from an electricity supplier that it chooses, and it locks in long-term pricing.
  • You receive a new price for the Supply charge on your Eversource electric bill.
  • Eversource remains Hopkinton’s electric utility and continues to deliver your electricity, address power outages, and handle all billing as it does now.

Aggregation is possible because in Massachusetts we can choose our electricity supplier, which is the company that puts electricity on the grid for us. But we have no choice in our electric delivery utility. If you live in Hopkinton, Eversource is your electric delivery utility no matter what.

Municipal electricity aggregation was enabled by the Massachusetts Restructuring Act of 1997 (Chapter 164, Section 134), and it is regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.

Before aggregation

Before an aggregation launches, most customers have Eversource’s Basic Service. This means Eversource is supplying (buying) your electricity in addition to delivering it, and Eversource uses their Basic Service price to calculate the Supply charge on your bill. You are placed on Eversource’s Basic Service when you first open your account, and you can always go back to it.

Eversource’s Basic Service prices change seasonally, every 6 months or less.

Diagram describing how supply and delivery works without Hopkinton Power Choice. Detailed description above after the header Before aggregation.

With an aggregation in place

With an aggregation in place, an electricity supplier chosen by the Town is supplying electricity, but Eversource continues to deliver it without interruption. Eversource uses the price provided by that electricity supplier to calculate the Supply charge on your bill instead of their Basic Service price.

Hopkinton Power Choice prices will be fixed for 12 months or more.
Diagram describing how supply and delivery works with Hopkinton Power Choice. Detailed description above after the header With an aggregation in place.

Will you save money?

Maybe! According to a report by UMass Amherst, the majority of communities with aggregation programs do see some savings compared with Eversource’s Basic Service price.

However, Hopkinton Power Choice will offer long-term fixed prices, and Eversource’s prices change every six months or less. As a result, savings compared with Eversource can never be guaranteed.

If you are not happy with the program, you are always free to leave Hopkinton Power Choice at any time with no fee or penalty.

Learn more about aggregation

Example Eversource bill
How to participate
The implementation process