The Town of Medfield is pleased to announce that it will launch its electricity supply program, Medfield Community Electricity, in June 2024. The program seeks to offer new electricity supply options that provide more renewable energy and stable prices for all Medfield residents and businesses. This supports Medfield’s ability to become a more environmentally sustainable community. The program is a municipal aggregation, similar to programs already offered by nearly 170 cities and towns in the State, including nearby Millis, Westwood and Walpole.
Medfield Community Electricity will offer three new electricity supply options to all Medfield residents and businesses. The Town’s default offering, “Medfield Standard”, will provide electricity that is composed of 10% more renewable energy than current state requirements. Medfield residents and businesses may also choose from two other options: “Medfield 100”, which provides electricity from 100% renewable energy sources, and “Medfield Basic” which just meets the State minimum standards for renewable energy.
The Medfield Community Electricity Program has used aggregate customer purchasing power to negotiate a multi-year contract to supply electricity for these options at prices that are below current Eversource residential Basic Service electricity rates. Because Eversource adjusts its rates every six months, the program cannot guarantee that electricity rates will always be lower than Eversource’s rates, but the objective of the program is to deliver electricity at a lower cost than Eversource Basic Service rates when evaluated over the full term of the contract.
Medfield Community Electricity will provide long-term price stability, with prices fixed for 30 months, until December 2026. The program will also support the growth of renewable energy here in New England, because all additional renewable energy will come from “Class I” sources, which are primarily wind and solar sources all located within New England.
The program was initially authorized by Town Meeting in 2021, and was recently approved by the State’s Department of Public Utilities in January 2024. The program launches in June 2024.
Medfield residential and business electricity customers using Eversource Basic Service will be automatically enrolled in the Medfield Standard default option as of their June meter read, unless they opt-out. In the beginning of April, all customers using Eversource Basic Service will receive a Notification Letter on behalf of the Town from the chosen electricity supplier for the program, Direct Energy. The letter will notify them of the upcoming enrollment and provide instructions on how to choose a program option other than Medfield Standard or how to opt out of the program (i.e., not participate) before the program starts.
Participation in Medfield Community Electricity is voluntary. Anyone who does not want to participate may opt out without penalty, either before the program begins or at any time during the program.
Electricity customers who are currently enrolled with a third-party supplier will not receive the Notification Letter and will not be automatically enrolled. These customers can voluntarily join the program, but are advised to check with their current supplier in case their current supplier charges penalties or early termination fees should they leave that supplier during the term of their contract.
Participation in Medfield Community Electricity will only change the “Supply” portion of your Eversource electricity bill. The “Delivery” portion of your Eversource bill will remain the same and will still continue to cover Eversource delivering electricity, managing billing, maintaining poles and wires, and responding to storm outages. Customers using budget billing or receiving low-income rate discounts will continue to receive those discounts without interruption. Similarly, customers receiving net metering or other solar benefits will continue to receive those benefits.
You are invited to learn more about the program:
• April 24th, 2024 at 7pm: Public Service Building, in-person or virtual attendance, it will be livestreamed on Medfield TV as well. Find the virtual link at Electricity.Medfield.net or on the Town website.
• May 1st, 2024 at 10:30am: In person session at the CENTER at Medfield.
For more information about the Medfield Community Electricity program, go to Electricity.Medfield.net or call (508) 296-4767.
The table below shows the prices for Medfield Community Electricity, compared to Eversource Basic Service. Medfield Community Electricity prices apply to all Residential, Commercial and Industrial customers.
