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Council hears Dynegy notices, NOPEC opt-out mailings and a separate gas-billing complaint under PUCO review
Summary
City Utilities committee discussed customer notices from Dynegy about contract end dates and staff said NOPEC would mail opt-out letters; councilors also raised a separate gas-aggregate billing complaint affecting an estimated 1,200–1,700 residents that is under PUCO investigation.
Committee members described a recent customer letter from Dynegy explaining that contract service would end April 30 and discussed the city's plan to roll the municipal electric aggregate to NOPEC. Utilities staff said residents should expect a follow-up mailer from NOPEC that gives customers an opt-out option if they prefer to shop their own rate. "The next very next piece of mail you will get is from NOPEC giving you the option to opt out," a staff member said.
Councilors expressed frustration that the Dynegy notice caused alarm because it did not reference NOPEC, and they urged proactive public messaging so constituents would not panic. Several members asked whether the city could post guidance on the mayor's Facebook page and confirmed staff would circulate formal instructions once NOPEC and the city have final timelines.
Separately, council discussed a gas-aggregate billing problem that staff said is the subject of a PUCO investigation. Council members estimated between 1,200 and 1,700 residents were affected and said some customers may have been re-enrolled incorrectly, leaving them to pay higher winter rates for up to two months. "One of those months was probably the coldest of the year and they were paying $7.96 per MCF instead of $4.84 per MCF," one council member said as an example. Members said they expect PUCO to report back in two to three weeks and discussed potential reimbursement if the investigation finds an error.
Why it matters: the electric transition and the gas-billing investigation affect residential utility costs and require clear communication to reduce confusion; councilors emphasized proactivity in messaging and holding responsible parties accountable for any erroneous charges.
