The power of our community

Important program news: Bellingham Power Choice will change to new, 12-month 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 continue to pay less than their utility’s current residential and commercial/small business Basic Service prices.

The Town selected a shorter, 12-month contract to secure competitive pricing without locking participants into higher prices for several years. Bellingham Power Choice has saved Bellingham electricity customers more than $5.7 million compared with utility Basic Service prices since launching in 2017.

See the new prices.

Check back soon for the official announcement from the Town of Bellingham.

Bellingham Power Choice is a group electricity buying program for Bellingham residents and businesses. Using the purchasing power of our community, the program provides:

  • Two consumer-friendly electricity supply options
  • Stable and consistent pricing until December 2027
  • The freedom to leave at any time with no fee or penalty

More than 200 other Massachusetts communities have similar programs, known as municipal electricity aggregations.

Program benefits

Two consumer-friendly options

Bellingham Power Choice offers two options for the electricity supply part of your electric utility bill. As a new participant, you will be automatically enrolled in Power Choice Standard. Power Choice Green provides 100% of your electricity from new renewable sources and is available by request. Make the choice that’s right for you!

Power Choice Standard: 14.850 cents per kilowatt hour. Power Choice Green: 17.550 cents per kilowatt hour. National Grid residential: 17.185 cents per kilowatt hour. Eversource residential: 17.323 cents per kilowatt hour.

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

Bellingham Power Choice offers long-term prices, while National Grid’s and Eversource’s prices change seasonally. Use the calculator to compare Bellingham Power Choice prices with your utility’s average prices.

No interruption in service 

Through Bellingham Power Choice, the Town has selected Gridwealth Electric 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 your utility (National Grid or Eversource) remains unchanged and will continue to handle your billing, address power outages, and deliver your electricity with no interruption. Learn more about how aggregation works.

Learn how Bellingham Power Choice works.

 

What does not change

Who delivers your electricity
Your utility (National Grid or Eversource) continues to deliver your electricity with no interruption (and they are 100% OK with your participation in Bellingham Power Choice).
Who sends your electric bill
Your electric bill continues to come from your electric utility (National Grid or Eversource), and this is the only electric bill you receive as a participant in Bellingham Power Choice.
Who and how you pay
You continue to pay your electric utility using whatever existing arrangement you have.
Who to call if you lose power
Call your utility (National Grid or Eversource) as you do now.
Low-income discount or fuel assistance
If you are eligible for these benefits, you continue to receive them with no change.
Bill credits or incentive payments from solar panels
You continue to receive your credits or payments, and participating in Bellingham Power Choice does not impact how they are calculated.
Bill credits from community solar
You continue to receive bill credits, and participating in Bellingham Power Choice does not change how they are calculated.
National Grid's Budget Plan and Eversource's Budget Billing
If you have National Grid's Budget Plan or Eversource's Budget Billing, it continues to apply to your total bill.

Most new accounts are eligible for automatic enrollment

Have your utility’s Basic Service? 

New accounts on their utility’s Basic Service are eligible for automatic enrollment. (If you did not sign a private electricity supply contract, you have your utility’s Basic Service.) 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 notice from the Town of Bellingham in the mail in advance. See the most recent 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 industrial and 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, Bellingham Power Choice will be integrated into your existing National Grid or Eversource electric bill. Your supplier will appear as Gridwealth-Bellingham Power 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 National Grid bill.

See an example Eversource bill.

 

Will you save money?

Maybe! The Power Choice Standard price is currently lower than National Grid’s and Eversource’s residential and commercial/small business Basic Service prices. But Bellingham cannot guarantee that program prices will always be lower than National Grid and Eversource because utility prices change seasonally, and we do not know their future prices. 

Learn more

FAQ
How it works
Participating
Program notifications & documents
Price calculator
Renewable energy

Protect your electricity account number

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