How to save money on your electric bill in Dayton
Community wide aggregation was supposed to help you get the lowest prices on your utility bill and is generally a great idea. Except, when the City of Dayton decides to be all high and mighty and pick a deal that includes a green power premium rate plan.
Not that I’m against clean energy, but, there are places and ways to encourage clean energy, and taking it out of Dayton Citizen’s pockets monthly isn’t the answer. Maybe if they’d required all the warehouses that they gave away valuable airport land to- include solar roofs, I’d be all in. But, the city didn’t- because there’s no vision in city hall.
What happened was you recently got a letter, mine was dated 5/25/23 that told me I had to choose my utility by 6/1/23 or I’d be locked in to the city deal. I got the letter on 6/2/23 and was able to make the choice and saved on my kwh rate for the next two years. How much you ask? The city deal was for two years from AEP Energy Inc and was at .0905 per Kilowatt Hour.
I found a two year deal from Public Power for .0699k/Wh with no cancellation fee or other tie ins and made the switch. Now, this only refers to the cost of the electricity, not the distribution, billing and all the other stuff. And while the savings aren’t huge .0206 per k/Wh, it adds up.
The key is taking a few minutes to go to the State of Ohio comparison site- often called “Apples to Apples” and select your vendor. It’s pretty simple. https://www.energychoice.ohio.gov/ApplesToApplesCategory.aspx?Category=Electric
At my house, the average historical use is about 1500k/Wh a month – which means about $371 a year in savings.
Take a few minutes and figure out what your savings could be and let the wonders of deregulation work in your favor. Note, if you select a plan with no costs and no termination fees- you could find a better price at times.
Another way to save money on energy is to use less. At 235 Kwh/month average, I’m happy to invest an additional $5/month to have cleaner air and to promote renewables.
Good post
The Dayton Daily seems to be all over this now- two stories. “Dayton paying more The city of Dayton’s history of electric aggregation stretches back to 2016, when the city first adopted it, according to Meg Maloney, Dayton’s sustainability specialist. “The initial impetus was led by our commissioners, as they saw it as a way for city of Dayton residents to save money on their supply rate,” Maloney told this news outlet. In May 2021, the mayor and Dayton City Commission unanimously approved restarting its electric aggregation program. It selected the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council, or SOPEC, to procure energy for residents. “When we restarted the program in 2022, average estimated savings were $350 compared to the SSO (standard service offer),” she said. “This year, the estimated savings are $150 compared to the SSO.” This month, the city purchased electricity supply with 100% green attributes at 9.65 cents per kWh. Dayton’s electric aggregation program will be continued through May 2025. Those who were enrolled in the city’s program last year do not need to do anything. Maloney said the biggest misunderstanding the city has when it comes to its electric aggregation program is what is its main purpose. “Our main goal is to beat the standard service offer from AES Ohio and provide 100% renewable energy,” she said. “I can’t guarantee we will always have the lowest rate available on the market, though we will try.” Story 2 ““If the lights go out, you still call the same folks,” he said. “The utility acts the exact same way. There’s no change at all.” In Dayton, which adopted electric aggregation in 2016, 40% of all households shop their own electric supply rates and are therefore not eligible for the city rate, according to Meg Maloney, Dayton’s sustainability specialist. “If they cancel their supply rate, they can join our program at any time for free,” Maloney said. Of the 30,000 households in the program, just 3% have opted out since it was initiated, she said While the city tries to get the lowest price possible rate at the time, the market… Read more »