Voters approve aggregation issue. What's next?
Vandalia voters approve aggregation issue
On Tuesday, November 8, Vandalia voters approved two measures authorizing the City to negotiate opt-out electricity and natural gas aggregation. Aggregation gives the City of Vandalia the authority to negotiate on behalf of residents for more favorable natural gas and electricity rates.
What are the City's next steps?
On Monday, March 6, 2023 Vandalia City Council voted to approve plans of operation and governance for natural gas and electric aggregation with the Miami Valley Communications Council (MVCC). MVCC is now working through a series of necessary steps to launch the aggregation program with Palmer Energy of Toledo. We are hopeful that the program will be in place by August or September 2023.
Now that aggregation has been approved, what should residents do?
At this point, there is no action required by residents. Once negotiated, residents may opt out and choose their provider based on a comparison of providers at energychoice.ohio.gov.
Are there any documents regarding the proposal from Miami Valley Communications Council available for review?
Yes. The MVCC Operation and Governance Plans for electric and natural gas are linked at the bottom of this page.
Who will send me my utility bill?
Your utility bill will continue to come from the same company. Aggregation may change your energy supplier, but your energy distributor will remain the same. The energy distributors for Vandalia are AES Ohio for electricity and CenterPoint Ohio for natural gas.
Am I locked in to the aggregation rates?
No. Whenever the City of Vandalia is able to negotiate aggregated rates for natural gas and electricity, residents will have the opportunity to review the rates and decide if it is advantageous to stay in the group or opt-out. Negotiated rates will be publicized, giving everyone the opportunity to compare those rates with other providers. energychoice.ohio.gov is a website that makes it easy to compare providers and rates.
Will I save money?
The City of Vandalia hopes to maintain an aggregation program with competitive rates for our residents. It is possible that as a large buying group, residents may be able to get better rates than buying as individuals, but there is no guarantee. One thing that makes the Miami Valley Communications Council program attractive is that we could be joining a group of an estimated 60,000 residences, which may help us to achieve better rates for Vandalia residents.
How do I enroll?
Enrollment is automatic for residents. Now that voters have approved aggregation, the City of Vandalia will have the authority to negotiate an opt-out electricity and natural gas aggregation rates on behalf of its residents.
What if I already have an agreement with a supplier when community aggregation goes into effect?
Your energy agreement will remain in effect until it expires. Whenever the agreement ends, you would then be automatically enrolled in the community aggregation program, unless you opt-out. You may be able to cancel an existing agreement, however that may require a cancellation fee.
Questions or Concerns?
Residents who have questions about aggregation may contact the City of Vandalia, (937) 898-5891 or email Assistant City Manager Amber Holloway, aholloway@vandaliaohio.org More information may also be found at The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio website.