What is Lincoln Green Energy Choice?
Lincoln Green Energy Choice is a municipal electricity aggregation, which is a type of group electricity buying program.
Typically, your electric utility, Eversource, provides two sets of services to you:
- They deliver your electricity. Delivery services appear on your bill as Delivery charges.
- They also supply your electricity, which means they buy electricity for you and pass the cost along to you. The cost of the electricity they buy for you appears on your bill as your Supply charge.
But in Massachusetts, consumers actually have three options for electricity supply:
- Your utility can serve as your electricity supplier, as just described. This is called Basic Service, and this is what we all have when we first open our electricity accounts if we don’t make any other choice. Eversource’s Basic Service price changes seasonally.
- You can sign a private contract with an electricity supplier that locks in an electricity supply price. The duration of that price will depend on the contract you sign.
- Your municipal government can sign a contract with an electricity supplier that you benefit from. This third option is municipal electricity aggregation, and this is what Lincoln Green Energy Choice is. Lincoln Green Energy Choice locks in long-term, stable prices.
Learn more about how aggregation works.
How will I benefit from Lincoln Green Energy Choice?
How long has this program been around? How long will it last?
Municipal aggregation was approved at the March 24, 2018, Town Meeting. After a period of state regulatory review and approval, Lincoln Green Energy Choice launched with March 2021 meter reads.
The Town has two consecutive contracts with First Point Power to supply electricity to Lincoln Green Energy Choice participants. The first contract ends in January 2026, and the second contract ends in January 2028. The Town intends to sign a new electricity supply contract when that second contract ends. The electricity supplier and renewable energy content may change, and the price may be higher or lower than the current price. You will continue in the same program option at the new price unless you inform the program otherwise. However, if the Town decides the program is not beneficial to the community, it is free to cancel the program at the end of the current supply contract and return all participants to Eversource’s Basic Service. The Town will provide advance notice of any such changes, and you will be free to opt out or change your option before the changes take effect.
What gives Lincoln Green Energy Choice the right to enroll me automatically? Why do I have to opt out if I don't want to participate?
Municipal electricity aggregation was enabled by the Massachusetts Restructuring Act of 1997 (Chapter 164, Section 134), which allows local municipal governments to aggregate the electricity supply loads of the electricity consumers within their geographic boundaries in order to negotiate more favorable terms with an electricity supplier.
State law requires aggregations to use an automatic enrollment model. Lincoln did not have a choice as to whether the program would be opt in or opt out.
However, participation is never required. You have the option to opt out before being automatically enrolled, or you may try the program and leave later. There is never any fee or penalty to opt out, and you may do so at any time. Opt out.
How do I sign up for Lincoln Green Energy Choice?
If you have received a notice of automatic enrollment from the Town, you do not need to take any action. Your account will be automatically enrolled after the opt-out deadline listed in the notice. View the notice of automatic enrollment.
If you have not received a notice of automatic enrollment, you may request enrollment.
Visit the Participating page for more information.
How do I choose Lincoln 100% Green or Lincoln Basic?
To choose Lincoln 100% Green or Lincoln Basic, complete the online form or call customer support at 1-844-651-8919. Be sure to have an Eversource electric bill with you when you fill out the form or call, as you’ll need information from your bill to make the request.
Is my account eligible to participate?
Participation is open to all metered electricity accounts in Lincoln.
For more details, please see the Participating page.
Can I opt out and re-enroll later?
Yes, however, if you opt out and then wish to re-enroll in the program, you are not guaranteed the program price when you re-enroll. The electricity supplier is entitled to charge you a market price, meaning a price that reflects where the electricity market is at the time of your enrollment, instead of the program price for the remainder of the current electricity supply contract, which may be higher. If the program’s electricity supplier decides to charge market pricing, you will be notified before enrollment and can decide then whether to continue with enrollment or not.
What participating looks like
What will change for me with Lincoln Green Energy Choice?
You will see two changes on your Eversource electric bill as a result of participating in Lincoln Green Energy Choice:
- Eversource will use a Lincoln Green Energy Choice price to calculate the Generation Service Charge on your bill.
- Your bill will show “First Point Power – Lincoln Green Energy Choice” as your electricity supplier.
Additionally, the amount of electricity you receive from renewable sources will increase.
If you have Eversource’s Budget Billing, it will continue to apply to the Delivery portion of your bill, but it will no longer apply to the Supply portion.
Otherwise, everything else will remain the same. You will continue to receive your electric bill from Eversource, you will continue to pay Eversource using whatever method you have set up with them, and you will continue to call Eversource if the power goes out.
If you are eligible for any discounts from Eversource, such as a low-income discount or fuel assistance, those discounts will be unaffected by your participation in Lincoln Green Energy Choice.
How does billing work?
Lincoln Green Energy Choice will be integrated into your existing Eversource electric bill. You will not receive any additional bills because of participating in Lincoln Green Energy Choice.
Eversource continues to send your bill, and you continue to pay them using whatever method you have set up with them.
To see what your electric bill will look like, view an example bill.
How do I know if I'm enrolled in Lincoln Green Energy Choice? How do I know which option I'm enrolled in?
The program will appear on your Eversource electric bill, and your Generation Service Charge will reflect the program option you are enrolled in. View an example Eversource bill to see where the program and price appear on your bill.
Does participating in Lincoln Green Energy Choice impact the quality of my electric service?
No. There will be no change in the consistency or reliability of the electricity coming into your home or business as a result of participating in Lincoln Green Energy Choice.
Eversource remains responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of electricity in Lincoln. Further, they have no preference whether they are your electricity supplier or you choose another supplier. Eversource does not profit from the supply portion of your bill. They make their profit from the delivery portion.
All Lincoln Green Energy Choice options include additional renewable electricity. This means more of the electricity that is put onto the grid on your behalf will come from renewable sources, but this does not change the overall reliability of the electricity on the grid.
I have solar panels on my property or I participate in a community solar program. If I join Lincoln Green Energy Choice, will I continue to receive the credits or payments that I receive now?
Yes. If you are participating in community solar, or if you are receiving net metering credits or incentive payments for electricity produced by solar panels on your property, you will continue to receive your credits or incentive payments as a participant in Lincoln Green Energy Choice.
Further, there will be no change in how they are calculated. Their calculation is not connected to your electricity supply price.
However, you could see a benefit. If your electricity supply charge is lower because the Lincoln Green Energy Choice price is lower than Eversource’s Basic Service price, the credits or incentive payments could go further in offsetting that charge.
Please note, however, that because Eversource’s Basic Service prices change and their future prices are not known, savings compared with Eversource can never be guaranteed.
How much will I pay if I participate in Lincoln Green Energy Choice?
Program prices are available on the Prices page.
To see how much your monthly supply charge will be, use the calculator.
Will I save money if I participate in Lincoln Green Energy Choice?
Maybe! According to a report by UMass Amherst, the majority of communities with aggregation programs do see some savings compared with their utility’s Basic Service prices.
However, Lincoln Green Energy Choice offers long-term fixed prices, while Eversource’s prices change every 6 months or less. As a result, savings compared with Eversource can never be guaranteed.
If you are not happy with the program, you are always free to leave the program at any time with no fee or penalty.
I currently have Eversource's Budget Billing and/or receive a low-income discount or fuel assistance. Will this change?
If you are eligible for any discounts, including a low-income discount or fuel assistance, you will continue to receive that discount with no change.
If you have Eversource’s Budget Billing, it will continue to apply to the Delivery potion of your bill, but it will no longer apply to the Supply portion of your bill. If it is important to have Eversource’s Budget Billing applied to your whole bill, you should opt out of Lincoln Green Energy Choice.
Does this program impact my delivery charges?
No. The delivery portion of your electric bill is not impacted by whether or not you participate in Lincoln Green Energy Choice. These charges are regulated.