Village Officials Discuss Referendum That Could Lead to Savings on Your Electric Bill

If voters and village officials give the OK to a new plan to lower the cost of 's power bills, you could see a savings of 15 percent on your ComEd statement.

But that savings may not come until early 2013, Triblocal reports.

"To start the program, a municipality first must ask its residents if they want to pursue the aggregation program through a referendum," the article said. "In April 2011, 24 ComEd communities put the question on the ballot and 21 were approved … Tinley Park officials decided not to pursue the program last spring because the potential savings were still unknown. After reviewing results of other communities officials are ready to consider it again."

The program was first discussed this week at a Village Board committee of the whole meeting. It stems from a new Illinois law that allows municipalities —New Lenox, Oak Park, Orland Park, Frankfort and Mokena already do this — to negotiate with third party suppliers, according to a village memo.

If the program is approved, ComEd will continue delivering electricity services to the area, as well as responding to service requests. However, it would no longer charge residents for the electricity itself, Triblocal reports.

The article states that residents would still get billed by the company for service charges as well as an electricity supply charge that would be "passed on by ComEd from the third party provider."

Village officials must approve an ordinance by November to get it on the March 2012 ballot. Two public hearings on the matter would be held. Officials would als start the bid process for electricity to be bought in 2012, according to the report. A new supplier could serve residents as early as December 2012.

Check out Triblocal for the full story.

Know More

If approved, the referendum would show up on the March 2012 ballot. Nothing besides the cost of electricity is expected to change for residents. According to a village memo, the referendum would read: “Shall the Village of Tinley Park have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residents and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such a program.”

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