WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. November 6, 2015:
Customers who currently have an electric company they are happy with can tell their present supplier they do not want to be switched to another, Con Edison told WPCNR today.
Recently, the White Plains Common Council voted to join a consortium of cities and towns that have agreed to allow a group called Sustainable Westchester to negotiate a contract with a series of suppliers or a supplier.
Sustainable Westchester would use the vast number of electric customers in the collection of town and city customers in the Sustainable fold to negotiate, they promise a reduced collective electric contract with an Electric Supply Company or companies for those customers including White Plains electric customers.
The Mayor and council and Sustainable Westchester executives assured this arrangement would save White Plainsers substantially on their electric bills.
Once the contract rate is determined, White Plains would automatically switch residents’ electric supply source to the suppliers chosen by Sustainable Westchester. Customers would have 20 days to notify Sustainable Westchester or the City of White Plains (it is not clear at this time who processes the “opt-outs”)
WPCNR asked Con Edison if residential customers not wishing to be switched at all from Con Edison could “opt out in advance,”
The answer from Robert McGee of Consolidated Edison Media Relations is “Yes.”
Mr. McGee issued this statement to WPCNR Friday afternoon:
“I have your answer.
If a Con Edison customer decides they do not want to be a part of the Sustainable Westchester initiative, they can instruct Con Edison to place an energy service company (ESCO) ‘block’ on their account.
Importantly, this block also would preclude a customer from signing up with any energy supply company, whether related to Sustainable Westchester or not. If a customer subsequently decides to choose another ESCO, they would have to contact Con Edison to remove the block prior to enrolling with the new ESCO.
