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Good Energy tells South Kingstown residents aggregation saved about $850,000; default residential rate to 10¢
Summary
Good Energy and town staff reported the Community Electricity Aggregation program has saved roughly $850,000 for participating accounts since launch; the standard residential supply price will drop from roughly 16¢ to about 10¢ starting with May meter reads.
Good Energy representatives told the South Kingstown Town Council on April 14 that the town's Community Electricity Aggregation program has produced savings and renewable‑energy benefits for participants since launching in May 2023.
Rafita Ramon, a Good Energy representative, told the council the program "has saved participants close to $850,000," including an estimated $733,000 in residential savings and roughly $100,000 for commercial accounts. She said the default residential supply offering will change in late May with South Kingstown's meter reading cycle; the standard product will move from around 16¢ per kilowatt‑hour to roughly 10¢ per kilowatt‑hour for the upcoming term.
Mark Russo, the town staff liaison to the program, said Good Energy provides several product options and noted the recent market shift: "This year's summer rate is 3% less than last year's summer rate," Russo said.
Why it matters: The decision affects the supply line on residents' electricity bills and the town's local aggregation strategy. Residents who want a higher percentage of renewable energy must opt up through the program website; the default standard product includes 50% voluntary renewable purchases.
Details and context - Program launch: May 2023. - Cumulative participant savings reported by Good Energy: about $850,000 overall; approx. $78 average savings per residential account cited by the presenter. - Environmental claim: Good Energy reported the program annually purchases about 4,000 MWh of voluntary renewable resources for the default 50% product and estimated an annual reduction equivalent to roughly 2.9 million pounds of CO2 (presenter calculation). - Pricing: Presenters said residential pricing for the upcoming period will be approximately 10¢/kWh (standard product); the state's basic service at the time shown on the slide was about 9.7¢. - Contract term: Town's master agreement with the supplier runs five years; the council and staff reported the current program is in its third year.
Public questions at the meeting addressed winter price spikes, market volatility and delivery/transmission charges that appear on Rhode Island Energy bills. Good Energy representatives said supply prices depend on market conditions and add that delivery and transmission charges are set by Rhode Island Energy and the Public Utilities Commission.
Ending: Good Energy and town staff urged residents to check their bills and the program website for product options and to monitor rates ahead of the May meter read when the new prices will appear.
