BRUNSWICK – The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council will be changing service providers in early 2017, but city residents can rest assured that power to their homes will not be lost in the transition, city officials announced this week.
“You don’t have to do anything at all to make sure your utilities stay on and burning bright,” Jim Baird, who filled in as acting city manager during the Nov. 14 City Council meeting, told residents.
Service Director Paul Barnett said there will be no disruption of services when the change in providers occurs in January. However, he said, city hall has fielded several concerns from city residents who are uncertain whether they have to take action in light of the changes.
While all city residents should have received letters from NOPEC’s current provider, FirstEnergy Solutions, informing them of the change, Barnett said all NOPEC customers will remain in the NOPEC plan unless they voluntarily opt out.
“FirstEnergy, of course, would like you to opt out because that is how they make money – and (customers) do have the right to opt out and go with their own supplier,” Barnett said. “But if you’re in the NOPEC plan and NextEra Energy Services will start to provide service. Your electricity is not going to go off if you don’t do anything.”
In an Oct. 28 press release, NOPEC Executive Director Chuck Keiper said FirstEnergy Solutions had notified NOPEC that it was terminating its contract three years early “because NOPEC would not agree to a number of demands.”
NOPEC officials announced Nov. 7 the council had reached an agreement with NextEra Energy Services Ohio, to become its new electricity provider upon the termination of the FirstEnergy contract in January 2017.
The NESO agreement will commence as the current contract ends. NOPEC’s new agreement with NESO assures that its customers will continue to receive the benefits of NOPEC membership which have resulted in about $250 million of electric cost savings to date.
The NOPEC program currently serves almost 500,000 customers in 13 northern Ohio counties.
NOPEC considers itself most fortunate to have a new supplier with both an extremely strong financial standing and a nationally recognized brand in the clean energy space, said Chuck Keiper, executive director of NOPEC.
“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with NESO,” Keiper said. “This is a world-class clean energy company and we know that NOPEC electricity customers will be in very capable hands.”
NOPEC customers should expect to receive their opt-out notices for service under the new program in the next few weeks.
“If local customers do not wish to remain a part of the NOPEC program, that’s the only time they have to fill out a card,” Barnett said.