Hardyston seeking bids from energy suppliers

HARDYSTON — Hardyston officials are working with a county-run program to reduce electric bills for township residents.

The township has joined Passaic County’s cooperative to pursue Government Energy Aggregation (GEA), a state-supported process. The county has operated a similar cost-saving cooperative for municipal energy needs for four years.

The township will hold a public meeting on Monday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the Hardyston Municipal Building to help educate residents about the program and answer their questions before and during the council meeting.

"GEA adds significant value to the existing cooperative for municipal facilities' gas and electric aggregation,” Passaic County Freeholder Bruce James said. “We’re glad to pass this additional savings opportunity on to our residents."

Under the GEA program, the county will aggregate the energy needs of eligible residents in Hardyston and other participating towns, then seek bids on this pool from more than 30 state-licensed energy suppliers. The suppliers bid their lowest rates in exchange for this potentially large volume of business.

There is no cost to the township or residents for these services, and Hardyston is not obligated to accept any bids. Residents also may opt out of the program at any time. Hardyston is joining about 15 other municipalities in the co-op – called the Passaic County Energy Cooperative Pricing System – to maximize savings to residents.

“This is a value-added service that will save our residents a significant amount on their utility bills each month, with no risk and no fine print,” Mayor Stan Kula said. “We expect the local economy to benefit, too, as people have more money available to spend at area businesses.”

Township officials said they hope to save residents an amount equal to about one to two months of energy costs per year, according to the firm.

If a bid is accepted, residents will have 30 days to opt out of the program before it starts. Residents also can opt out anytime thereafter, without fees or penalties. All residents who have not already switched to a different (third-party) energy supplier will be automatically included. Under the terms of the planned auction, rates are fixed for up to 24 months, with no early cancellation fees, penalties or fine print for customers. At the end of this period, another auction could be held. Residents would again have the option to stay with the program or opt-out, based on the new rates.

For more information, please visit njaggregation.us or call (855) 200-2648 toll-free, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.