About 12,000 households and small businesses in unincorporated Kane County will benefit from a decrease in their electric rate this month under the county’s electric aggregation program.

Back in June 2015, Kane County government signed a two-year contract with Dynegy Energy Services, LLC for a fixed electric rate of 6.533 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first 12 months, which would decrease to a rate of 6.065 cents per kilowatt-hour for the second 12 months of the agreement.

Now that the program is entering its second year, the rate will drop to 6.065 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is lower than it was for the first half of the aggregation program and lower than ComEd’s current rate.

The ComEd price to compare is 6.19 cents per kilowatt-hour for June to September 2016, which will be followed by an increase to 6.308 cents per kilowatt-hour for October 2016 to May 2017. The price to compare includes the base electric rate and the transmission services charge, which is set at 1.262 cents per kilowatt-hour for June 2016 through May 2017. Kane County electric aggregation customers do not pay a separate transmission services charge.

“The first year of the county’s electric aggregation program has seen enrollment numbers of around 80 percent,” stated Ken Anderson, director of the Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources. “As of May 2016, this translated to a collective savings of over $65,000 for unincorporated Kane County residents and small businesses because the county secured a lower electric rate through its aggregation program.”

The savings is notable in a time when electric rates have been surprisingly low.

According to Sharon Durling from the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative, ComEd’s low rates in recent months reflect the significant drop in the power market, much like the drop that has occurred in the price of gasoline and other commodities over the last year.

“The rate that Kane County was able to secure for its program is one of the lowest community aggregation program rates in Northern Illinois — and lower than current program bids, coming in at around 6.2 cents per kilowatt hour,” she said.

Residents and small businesses in unincorporated Kane County who opted out of the electric aggregation program in the first year are able to join the program for the second year, given that they have been out of the program for ComEd’s mandatory waiting period of six months. Customers must contact Dynegy Energy Services at 866-694-1262 to enroll in the program. Neither ComEd or Kane County government can enroll an account in the electric aggregation program.

For more information about the Kane County’s electric aggregation program, please visit this page of the Dynergy Energy Services website. www.dynegyenergyservices.com/community/kane-county.php, call the Dyngegy Customer Care line at 866-694-1262 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email DESCustCare@Dynegy.com.