Watertown

Welcome!

Important program news: Watertown Electricity Choice will change to new, 2-year prices in December as the program’s current electricity supply contract ends and a new contract takes effect. While changes in the electricity market have increased prices overall, most participants will still pay less than Eversource’s current residential and small business electricity supply prices.

Since the program’s launch in 2019, Watertown Electricity Choice participants have saved over $15 million combined compared with Eversource, though future savings cannot be guaranteed.

See the new prices.

Check back soon for the official announcement from the City of Watertown.


Watertown Electricity Choice is a group electricity buying program for Watertown residents and business owners. Using the purchasing power of our community, Watertown Electricity Choice provides:

  • An easy way to get more of your electricity from renewable sources
  • Stable and consistent pricing
  • The freedom to leave at any time with no fee or penalty

More than 200 Massachusetts cities and towns have similar programs, known as municipal electricity aggregations.

Program benefits

Three consumer-friendly options

Watertown Electricity Choice offers three options for the electricity supply part of your Eversource bill. As a new participant, you will be automatically enrolled in Standard and will receive 100% of your electricity from renewable sources. The Basic and 100% Green options are available by request. Make the choice that’s right for you!

Learn more about program options and prices. Need help deciding? Contact customer support.

Watertown Electricity Choice offers long-term prices, while Eversource’s prices change seasonally. Use the price calculator to compare Watertown Electricity Choice prices with Eversource’s average prices.

No interruption in service 

Through Watertown Electricity Choice, the City has selected Direct Energy Services, LLC (“Direct Energy”) as our electricity supplier (the company that puts electricity on the grid for us) and locked in long-term pricing for the electricity supply charge on our bills. But Eversource remains Watertown’s electric utility and continues to handle our billing, address power outages, and deliver our electricity with no interruption. Learn more about how aggregation works.

Eversource remains responsible for…

Delivering your electricity
Eversource continues to deliver your electricity with no interruption (and they are 100% OK with your participation in Watertown Electricity Choice).
Sending your electric bill
Your electric bill continues to come from Eversource, and this is the only electric bill you receive as a participant in Watertown Electricity Choice.
Accepting your electric bill payment
You continue to pay Eversource using whatever existing arrangement you have.
Addressing power outages
Call Eversource if your power goes out, as you do now.
Providing a low-income discount or fuel assistance
If you are eligible for these benefits, you continue to receive them with no change.
Providing bill credits or incentive payments from solar panels
You continue to receive your credits or payments, and participating in Watertown Electricity Choice does not impact their calculation.
Applying bill credits from community solar to your bill
You continue to receive bill credits, and participating in Watertown Electricity Choice does not impact their calculation.
Applying Budget Billing to your bill
If you have Eversource's Budget Billing, it continues to apply to your total bill.

Most new accounts are eligible for automatic enrollment

Have Eversource’s Basic Service? 

If you did not sign a private electricity supply contract, you have Eversource’s Basic Service. New accounts on Basic Service (except those with a customer-initiated block) are eligible for automatic enrollment. The automatic enrollment process happens on a roughly quarterly basis throughout the year. All similar programs throughout the state use an automatic enrollment model, but you are free to opt out before being automatically enrolled. You will receive a notification in the mail from the City in advance. See the notice of automatic enrollment.

 

Have a private electricity supply contract?

If you signed a private electricity supply contract, your account will not be eligible for automatic enrollment, but you can request enrollment online or by contacting customer support with our program consultants. (Restrictions apply for large business accounts.) We recommend that you carefully check the terms and conditions of your supplier agreement. Your ability to terminate your agreement with your supplier may be restricted. Learn more.

Make sure you’re enrolled

If you are enrolled, Watertown Electricity Choice will be integrated into your existing Eversource electric bill. Your supplier will appear as Direct Energy – Watertown Elec Choice. But you will not see any additional charges on your bill or receive any additional electric bills because of participating in the program. 

See an example bill

Will you save money?

Maybe! According to a report by UMass Amherst, the majority of communities with aggregation programs do see some savings compared with Eversource’s Basic Service prices. But Watertown cannot guarantee that program prices will always be lower than Eversource because Eversource’s prices change seasonally, and we do not know their future prices. 

Learn more

Protect your Eversource account number

Eversource will never knock on your door or call you to talk about your electric bill.
Only provide your Eversource account number if you are ready to change your electricity supplier.