The whopping Con Edison electric bills customers have been hit with this winter have generated sparks as well as outrage at the utility. About 5,000 Peekskill residents who have Westchester Power supplying their electricity haven’t been subjected to sticker shock – and are reaping the benefits of having a fixed electric rate.  Because Peekskill has been participating in Westchester Power since 2019, residents can opt-in to the 100 percent Green Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program.  

 Three years ago the city joined other Westchester municipalities in a bulk buying program, similar to a wholesale buying club like BJ’s or Costco, to negotiate a stable, competitive price for the supply of electricity by pooling consumer power.  This program decreases the carbon footprint, and gives residents a stable, fixed cost for electricity supply. The contract which Westchester Power negotiated with Constellation New Energy for fixed rates, making energy bills more predictable, lasts through June of this year. A new contract is being negotiated now between the two entities.  A customer using Con Edison to supply electricity saw an average rate in January of 16.9 cents per kilowatt hour – versus Westchester Power’s 7.41 cents per kilowatt hour for the same period.  

New residents to Peekskill receive a letter from Westchester Power offering them the choice to opt in to the Westchester Power plan. Some residents who were given the opportunity in April of 2019 when the city joined Westchester Power may have opted out of the plan. They are eligible to opt back in.  If a customer is using another supplier to provide energy they will see the name of the provider on page 2 of their Con Edison bill in the section under Your Supply Charges. If they are using Westchester Power, they will see the name Constellation New Energy in the area that says Your Energy Supplier.  If they are using Con Edison to deliver the supply that area will be empty.  

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A key component of Westchester Power, which 145,000 residents in the county are now getting their electricity supplied through, is the stability against the fluctuating market. “It’s not primarily a savings program,” said Dan Welsh, director of Westchester Power. The non profit Sustainable Westcheter runs Westchester Power. “Think of it as an insurance policy cap,” said Welsh. “There’s no fee to opt out, unlike some other energy suppliers,” said Welsh. He said it’s important to check if you’re on a contract with a supplier because there may be a fee to break the contract. 

When the city was exploring Westchester Power as an option for Peekskill residents in March 2019, an informational program was hosted at the Neighborhood Center. A video of the program where viewers learned the difference between supply and delivery and how to decipher their bills from Con Edison is here. The delivery portion of getting electricity involves the poles, wires and billing. Con Edison continues to handle that. The supply portion is where the energy is generated from, either standard methods or totally green. They also learned the value of being part of Westchester Power. 

Peekskill residents who are assisted by the federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) are not eligible for Westchester Power.

To enroll in Westchester Power or to see if you have another energy supplier, go to Sustainable Westchester’s website here to learn more and enroll, or call Sustainable Westchester at (914) 242-4725.  The service also provides assistance for Spanish-speaking residents.