Natural Gas and Electricity News

Major News for Past NOPEC Electricity Customers and Present Natural Gas Customers
Mayor Jerry Hruby has announced that beginning in early April NOPEC will begin sending two letters to its natural gas and former electricity customers. One letter will be a notice about the re-enrollment of electricity customers that NOPEC moved to The Illuminating Company’s PRICE TO COMPARE last fall. NOPEC did that voluntarily to reduce the cost for people who were enrolled in NOPEC’s Standard Program Price. That letter will tell former electricity customers that they will be automatically returned to NOPEC unless they choose not to re-enroll.
The second letter will be for NOPEC natural gas customers advising them that they may leave NOPEC for another supplier. This letter is a formality since all NOPEC customers may leave whenever they want with no penalty to move to another supplier. It will not be necessary to respond to the gas letter unless you want to leave NOPEC.
To smooth the transition NOPEC will have a meeting for Brecksville NOPEC customers on Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 pm in the Gathering Room of the Human Services Center at 2 Community Drive.
You’ll be able to hear and ask questions to Genny Costanzo, NOPEC’s representative for Brecksville.

March 9, 2023

ELECTRICITY BULLETIN: The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has renewed NOPEC’s ability to sell electricity. This will allow NOPEC to begin the process of re-enrolling customers later this spring for a June meter read start. Resuming the electric aggregation allows NOPEC to provide competitively-priced options by having NOPEC as a choice. You WILL have a choice on whether you want to go back to NOPEC for electricity or not. At this time it is unknown what the rates will be.
NOPEC will be contacting customers soon with additional details on the timing and process for upcoming electricity AND natural gas enrollment mailings happening this spring. Every several years NOPEC is required to notify customers by mail that if they want to, they have the option to look for another supplier. This has always been somewhat of a puzzle because customers have always been able to leave NOPEC with no fee any time they want.
NOPEC has also announced that they are developing a schedule for regional public meetings where NOPEC staff will be available to answer questions that you may have about your energy supply choices. Don’t be concerned because at the moment, more than likely, you are paying the lowest electricity rate possible.
As you know, Brecksville has had an annual meeting for that purpose and because of all that is going on we may schedule that sooner than the usual time in September.
NATURAL GAS: Natural gas prices continue to go down. In fact NOPEC has lowered its monthly variable rate to $2.61 per mcf, (thousand cubic feet) down from $3.26. That begs this question. Let’s say you have NOPEC’s fixed rate of $5.49 or $4.25 (which was available earlier last year.) Should you drop those rates and go to the variable? There is no easy answer. Yes, you’ll save money but you’ll be using less gas over the summer. Then comes this fall and it’s wise to lock in again, There is no way of knowing what fixed rates will be. Granted the futures right now indicate a price in the $4 range next winter but it’s not unusual for natural gas prices on the trading market to go up or down by as much as 50 or 60 cents a day so that projection can change on a dime. Once again, and it can’t be said enough, DON’T EVER LET ANYONE TALK YOU INTO LEAVING NOPEC FOR ANOTHER NATURAL GAS OR ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER. I just received a telephone call from someone asking why I push NOPEC when there are lower rates. There are a number of answers to that question. One of the more significant answers is that typically, when your contract expires with a for profit company you are moved to a much higher variable rate. That is why I have written, “You’ll be asking for trouble and sooner or later you’ll be calling for help on how to get out of your bad decision to leave NOPEC. It’s true, someone on occasion has a better deal but at the end of that contract they have ways to get back the money you saved and more!
Also, let me repeat that you should definitely ignore those Visa Card and “green/renewable” electricity offers in the mail. They’re a rip off! Read the terms and conditions on the back of the offer sheet and you’ll see what we mean.
Till next time.

Finally, when in doubt, always call Ted with questions. 440-526-2606.
The opinions expressed are those of Ted Lux and do not necessarily reflect those of Mayor Hruby or City Council.