City of Sesser Residential Electric Aggregation Clarification

From Sesser Mayor Jason Ashmore

SESSER, IL – This is a brief explanation from Affordable Gas & Electric related to the transitioning to Homefield Energy as the City’s electric supplier. What took place and the corrective action that has been implemented are as follows.

From its inception in 2012, the aggregation programs managed by the SIAP have saved over 55,000 participating residents more than $10 million compared to Ameren’s default rates. Earlier this …year the SIAP negotiated long-term electric supply rates for nearly all Southern Illinois residential electricity customers in the Ameren utility area. This long-term approach to electricity rate negotiations provides rate certainty and protection from volatility in electricity futures through December of 2020.

Residents of Sesser, Marion, Carbondale, Herrin, Murphysboro and several others in the Southern Illinois Region began their new contract with Homefield Energy (Dynegy) in June.

• In late April all residents that were participating in the City’s aggregation program with Constellation and those residents who were on Ameren’s default supply rates received opt out letters from Homefield Energy detailing the new contract for the City’s aggregation program.
• After the 21 day for opt out period, Homefield Energy submitted enrollments for approximately 1/3 of residents in Sesser who did not opt out of the aggregation. Due to an internal glitch in Homefield Energy’s new CRM system, the other 2/3 of the residents in Sesser who also did not opt out were mistakenly not enrolled on the new aggregation rate. This group instead was returned to Ameren’s default supply rates. Once on Ameren’s default rate, we had up to 60 days to get these people enrolled back on the aggregation before they would face a 12 month minimum stay with Ameren.
• After securing the bill credit for the aggregation program, we allowed Homefield Energy to enroll the 2/3 group (who were defaulted back to Ameren) on the next available meter reading. The next available meter reading will either be their July or August meter reading. ***Note here that everyone will avoid the 12 month minimum stay on the Ameren default rates because they will be enrolled back on the aggregation before the 60 day window is expires.
• Residents will get a letter from Ameren that confirms Homefield Energy as their new supplier once Homefield gets them enrolled. They do not have to take any action to get back on the aggregation as long as they had not opted out.