Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Municipal Opt-out Electricity program?
In 2009, the State and the Illinois Commerce Commission enacted Municipal Opt-out Electricity programs, which offer residential and small-commercial customers an opportunity to receive more attractive energy supply terms through the bargaining power that aggregation provides. As well as educating, encouraging, and empowering communities and individuals to take control of their energy future through engagement with existing opportunities and development of new programs.
What is a Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator?
The Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator, Good Energy, is a company that has been authorized by local law or resolution to administer a Municipal Opt-out Electricity program in your local government. The Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator is responsible for working with participating municipalities to design and implement a Municipal Opt-out Electricity program consistent with the goals of the municipality and its constituents and in compliance with the Municipal Opt-out Electricity program requirements. The Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator solicits bids, awards a supply contract, and performs the necessary program outreach and education to ensure residents are well educated about the program. For those customers who do not opt-out of the program, the Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator works with your utility to ensure proper enrollment.
What role does my municipality play?
The municipality is the primary party responsible for meeting the requirements established by the Public Service Commission. First, to enable Municipal Opt-out Electricity in your municipality, there must be a Local Law passed that allows for opt-out enrollment for eligible residential and small–commercial accounts. The municipality would then either administer the Municipal Opt-out Electricity program themselves or select a Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator to perform the necessary Municipal Opt-out Electricity program requirements.
What is an Alternative Retail Supplier?
The municipality is the primary party responsible for supplying the actual energy supply to program participants in the municipality. The Alternative Retail Supplier (“Supplier”) is selected by the Municipal Opt-Out Administrator, Good Energy and the Municipality to serve electricity supply for the residents and small businesses.
What does opt-out enrollment mean?
Opt-out enrollment means that you will automatically be enrolled to participate in the Municipal Opt-out Electricity program unless you take action to opt-out of the program. There are multiple ways to opt-out of participation: by phone, online, or by mail. The specific contact information, as well as the date you must opt-out by, will be included on the opt-out letter. If you opt-out of the Municipal Opt-out Electricity program, that choice will be recognized for the life of the program.
Who is eligible to participate?
Most residential and small-commercial customers are eligible to be opt-out enrolled in the Municipal Opt-out Electricity program. However, if you have placed a Supplier block on your account or are currently receiving supply services from a Supplier you would not be eligible for opt-out enrollment.
Does the CCA Program replace my utility company?
No. You will still receive one bill from the utility company, but the supply section of your bill will show the name of the Supplier. The utility company will still be responsible for your billing and responding to any power outages.
Will I save money on my monthly bill?
Unless you are receiving a guaranteed savings supply product offering, such as what is required for HEAP customers, there is not a savings guarantee over the utility supply rate. However, with the ability to aggregate or pool demand this would potentially lead to competitive pricing for Municipal Opt-out Electricity program participants that would potentially provide greater savings than what the individual account would receive without participating.
How will my bill change?
You will continue to receive your bill from the utility company. The only portion of the bill that will change will be the Supply section which would now include the name of the Supplier and Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator serving your municipality.
What products are available?
Municipal Opt-out Electricity programs are designed with municipalities deciding which supply products will be offered to their constituents, including the default supply product that your account would automatically be enrolled under. These products can be a standard supply product or, for electric supply, a renewable product. While your municipality will decide what the default product offering is, you may have other product options available to you, contact the Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator to find out more.
How do I opt-out?
There are multiple ways to opt-out of participation: by phone, online, or by mail. The specific contact information, as well as the date you must opt-out by, will be included on the opt-out letter.
Can I participate if I opted out previously?
Yes, you can always opt-back into the program after previously opting-out, but you may need to wait until the next billing period for the change to take effect. Contact the Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator, Good Energy, to join the program.
Is there a fee for cancellation or opting-out?
No, there is never a fee for cancellation or opting-out.
What account information is being shared?
Customer energy usage data is aggregated and anonymized and used for bid solicitations, this does not contain any customer specific details. Your name and address are provided in order to send the opt-out letter. Upon enrollment, your information, including energy usage data will be provided to the Supplier serving the Municipal Opt-out Electricity program.
How is my information being protected?
The Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator has strict data protection policies that is has in place to ensure data is not shared with other companies or for telemarketing purposes.
Who can I contact to report a problem?
Complaints should be made to the Municipal Opt-out Electricity Administrator, Municipal Liaison, or the supplier. The information should be listed on the opt-out letter and this website.