Frequently Asked Questions

Eversource is responsible for electricity delivery in Natick. In addition, Eversource is typically your electricity supplier and they pass the cost of the electricity itself, known as electricity supply, along to you. This is called Basic Service.

The Natick Electricity Aggregation program is an alternative to Basic Service. Electricity aggregation is a form of group purchasing in which a town selects an electricity supplier on behalf of its residents and businesses. The goal is to negotiate the best price possible for everyone for the electricity supply portion of their bill.

Beginning in July 2019, the program will offer three options:

• Standard Green: 11.263 ¢/kWh for all customers. Standard Green is the default program offering, and it includes an additional 10% renewable electricity from renewable energy projects in New England, above and beyond the minimum amount required by the state.meets state renewable energy requirements. You will be automatically enrolled in Standard Green, and you may then choose one of the other options or opt out.
• 100% Green: 13.063 ¢/kWh for all customers. 100% Green includes 100% renewable electricity, all from renewable energy projects in New England (MA Class I RECs).
• Natick Basic/Brown: 11.026 ¢/kWh for all customers. This option does not include any additional renewable electricity beyond the minimum required by state law.

The program offers the potential for savings, but savings compared with Eversource’s Basic Service cannot be guaranteed. This is because Eversource’s Basic Service price changes every 6 months for residential and small business accounts, and every 3 months for large business accounts, and future prices are not known.

Any savings will apply only to the supply portion of your bill. Delivery charges will be unaffected.

Natick has signed a 17-month contract with Direct Energy. The contract price will be in effect from July 2019 meter reads until December 2020 meter reads. Natick can then establish a contract with a new electricity supplier or end the program and return participants to Basic Service. If Natick does establish a contract with a new electricity supplier, program participants will remain enrolled under the new contract.

You will see two changes on your Eversource electricity bill as a result of participating in the Natick Electricity Aggregation Program:

• Your electricity supply price will change to the program price.
• You will see the program’s electricity supplier listed instead of Eversource Basic Service on the Supplier Services portion of your Eversource electricity bill.

Otherwise, you will receive your bill from Eversource, you will send your bill payment to Eversource, and you will call Eversource when your power goes out.

All metered electricity customers within the geographic boundaries of Natick are eligible to participate. All new Eversource Basic Service customers are automatically enrolled.

No. If you have signed a contract with an electricity supplier, you will not automatically be enrolled in the Natick Electricity Aggregation Program.

However, you may participate if you wish.

If you would like to participate, we recommend that you first check the terms of your existing electricity supply contract. Many include minimum enrollment periods and early termination fees.

If you decide you would like to participate, please contact customer support.

No. You may choose not to participate. This is called opting out. There is no penalty for opting out. You may do so at any time. If you opt out, you will be placed on Eversource’s Basic Service. You may opt out online, or by contacting customer support.

Call Eversource if your power goes out. Eversource will deliver your electricity and maintain the poles and wires.

No. Your primary relationship will be with Eversource, and Eversource will bill you for your electricity. This is the only electricity bill you will receive as a participant in the Natick Electricity Aggregation Program.

No. Eversource’s quality of service will not be affected by your participation in the Natick Electricity Aggregation Program. Eversource does not profit from the supply charges on your electric bill. They make their profit from delivery charges. As a result, they have no preference whether they are your supplier or Natick chooses your supplier.

If you are eligible for the low-income delivery rate, you will continue to receive that discount within the Natick Electricity Aggregation Program.

However, budget billing is not available within the program. If you wish to retain budget billing, you should opt out of the program and be placed on Eversource Basic Service.

Yes. Net metering will work the same way if you participate in the program. Your net metering credits will continue to appear on your Eversource bill and will continue to be calculated based on the Eversource Basic Service price.