How aggregation works

Municipal electricity aggregation is a form of group electricity purchasing. Electricity aggregation replaces your electricity supplier, and it changes the price that Eversource uses to calculate the Supply charges on your electric bill. In addition, aggregation can increase the amount of renewable energy in your electricity supply. But electricity aggregation does not replace Eversource as your electric utility.

Here’s how it works:

Without Watertown Electricity Choice

(Unless you already have a contract with an electricity supplier)

Typically, Eversource provides two services to you as an electricity customer, and your electric bill includes charges for both of these services:

Electricity delivery

Eversource’s primary role is to deliver your electricity. Their responsibilities also include maintaining the delivery infrastructure (the poles and wires) and addressing power outages. They charge you for these services in the Delivery portion of your electric bill.

Electricity supply

Eversource can also provide a second service, which is to supply your electricity. This means they purchase electricity on your behalf and charge you for the amount you use in the Supply portion of your electric bill. When Eversource supplies your electricity, their Basic Service price is used to calculate the Supply portion of your bill. Basic Service prices change seasonally. When you first open your electricity account, you are placed on Eversource’s Basic Service.

The diagram below shows Eversource both delivering and supplying electricity.

With Watertown Electricity Choice

In an electricity aggregation like Watertown Electricity Choice, you remain an Eversource customer. They continue to deliver your electricity, and you continue to call them when the power goes out. They also continue to send your electric bill, and you continue to send bill payments to them.

However, Eversource no longer supplies (buys) your electricity. As a result, you no longer have Eversource’s Basic Service price for the Supply portion of your electric bill.

Instead, the City of Watertown uses the group buying power of the community to sign a contract with an electricity supplier and establish an electricity Supply price for the community. Eversource then uses a Watertown Electricity Choice price instead of their own Basic Service price to calculate the Supply portion of your bill. Watertown Electricity Choice prices are typically fixed, long-term prices that do not change seasonally.

Through the program, the City can also choose to buy more electricity from renewable sources than is required by state law. For participants in Standard and 100% Green, Watertown buys more renewable electricity than is required by law.

What changes on your bill

If you participate, you will see two changes on your electric bill beginning the month after you are enrolled:

Watertown’s electricity supplier will be listed on your Eversource bill as your electricity supplier.
Eversource will use a Watertown Electricity Choice price to calculate the Supply portion of your electric bill instead of their Basic Service price.

What does not change on your bill

Otherwise, your primary relationship for electricity will remain with Eversource. This means:

You will continue to receive one bill from Eversource. This is the only electric bill you will receive as a participant in Watertown Electricity Choice.
You will continue to call Eversource if your power goes out. Eversource will continue to deliver your electricity, restore electricity service after a power outage, and maintain the poles and wires.
If you have solar panels on your property or participate in a community solar program, you will continue to receive solar credits and/or solar incentive payments, and participating in Watertown Electricity Choice will not change how they are calculated.
If you are eligible for a low-income discount, you will continue to receive that discount.

View an example Eversource bill

Enrolling in Watertown Electricity Choice

Watertown Electricity Choice uses an automatic enrollment model, which is in accordance with state law. New electricity customers in Watertown will be eligible for automatic enrollment in Watertown Electricity Choice within a few months of opening their electricity account. Before being automatically enrolled, you will receive a notice in the mail from the City of Watertown with information about the program.

You may also choose to request enrollment. Learn more about requesting enrollment.

Participation is not required. You may opt out before being automatically enrolled or any time after enrollment, with no penalty. If you choose to opt out, Eversource will remain your electricity supplier, and they will use their own Basic Service price to calculate the Supply portion of your electric bill.