Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about the program and how it will impact you? See below for a list of frequently asked questions and answers. Also, check out the links in the Learn More box to the right.
If you still don’t see what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact Webster’s program consultants for customer support.
General Program Information
The program is an electricity aggregation, a form of group purchasing in which the Town uses the bulk buying power of the entire community to negotiate a price for the supply services portion of your National Grid electricity bill.
Under the program, National Grid will continue to deliver your electricity, but National Grid will no longer be your electricity supplier. Instead Webster will choose its own electricity supplier. National Grid will use the Webster PowerUp price to calculate the supply services portion of your bill instead of their own Basic Service price.
Webster has signed a contract with Dynegy to supply electricity from November 2020 – November 2023.
If you receive a personal call or visit about your electricity, that person does not represent the Town of Webster, National Grid, or the Webster PowerUp program. Neither National Grid nor the Town is knocking on doors or making individual sales phone calls. Webster sends a single letter to residents and businesses eligible for automatic enrollment with detailed program information. That letter includes the Town seal in the header and Town Manager Doug Willardson’s name at the end.
If you receive a call or a visit from someone who wants to discuss your electricity, here are three things to keep in mind:
◉ The person you are speaking with is not associated with National Grid, the Town of Webster, or Webster PowerUp.
◉ You should treat your National Grid account number like you treat your credit card information. Do not give it out unless you want to purchase your electricity from someone else.
◉ You do have the right to select an electricity supplier of your choice. If you choose to explore this option, please check the terms of the agreement carefully. Things to check for include: minimum bill amounts, contract length requirements, early termination fees, low introductory rates that change after the introductory period ends, and rates that vary.
If you feel a salesperson has fraudulently identified themself as working for National Grid or the Town of Webster, please report it to the Department of Public Utilities Consumer Division 617-737-2836, or [email protected].
Webster PowerUp is an alternative to National Grid’s Basic Service and to other electricity supply offers, but without high pressure or fees. Webster PowerUp offers:
◉ Choices: Two alternatives to National Grid’s Basic Service, including an option to choose 100% renewable electricity
◉ Long-term prices: Webster PowerUp prices are fixed until November 2023. National Grid’s Basic Service prices change every 6 months for residential and commercial customers and every 3 months for industrial customers. Other electricity offers may include a low introductory price that later rises.
◉ Consumer protections: You can leave Webster PowerUp anytime with no penalty or fee, and the program includes no hidden fees.
◉ Potential savings: Webster PowerUp offers the potential to save when compared with the average of National Grid’s prices. However, because future National Grid prices are not known, savings cannot be guaranteed.
Webster’s contract with Dynegy will be in effect until November 2023 meter reads. At that point, Webster can establish a new electricity supply contract or end the program.
◉ If Webster signs a new contract, all active program participants will be automatically enrolled in the new contract.
◉ If Webster chooses instead to end the program, all active program participants will be automatically returned to National Grid’s Basic Service.
In either case, Webster will make an announcement, and the transition will be seamless for program participants.
Webster PowerUp does not replace National Grid as your electric utility.
Call National Grid if your power goes out, as always.
National Grid will continue to read meters, maintain distribution and transmission lines, and provide customer service.
National Grid’s customer service number is 1-800-465-1212.
Yes. You will continue to receive solar credits and/or solar incentive payments, and participating in Webster PowerUp will not change how they are calculated.
Tax-exempt accounts that wish to maintain their tax-exempt status in Webster PowerUp must submit tax-exemption documentation to the program’s electricity supplier.
You may have submitted tax-exemption documentation to National Grid already, but National Grid does not share this documentation with the program’s electricity supplier. It is the customer’s responsibility to submit this documentation.
Tax-exemption documentation must be submitted each time the program’s electricity supplier changes.
Learn where to submit your tax-exemption documentation and find links to download forms.
Electricity Supply and Electricity Suppliers
Electricity service has two parts: supply and delivery. Supply refers to the electricity itself. Delivery is the process of bringing that electricity to you over the wires.
With National Grid Basic Service, National Grid chooses your electricity supplier and delivers the electricity to you. With Webster PowerUp, National Grid continues to deliver your electricity, but Webster chooses its own supplier.
The Webster PowerUp electricity supplier is Dynegy until November 2023.
A competitive electricity supplier like Dynegy is NOT your utility. A competitive electricity supplier is a company licensed by the Department of Public Utilities to purchase electricity and related services from the wholesale electricity markets for resale to retail customers. If you sign a contract with a competitive electricity supplier, National Grid uses your contract price, or your Town’s contract price, to calculate the supply services portion of your electricity bill instead of their own Basic Service price.
Price, Savings, and Billing
Current prices are available on the Your Options page.
No. National Grid’s Basic Service prices change every 6 months for residential and commercial customers and every 3 months for industrial customers. Future prices are not known. As a result, savings cannot be guaranteed.
The program will impact only the supply services portion of your National Grid electricity bill. The delivery services portion of your National Grid bill will not be impacted by this program.
You will see two changes on your National Grid electric bill beginning with the month after your enrollment in the program:
◉ National Grid will use the Webster PowerUp price to calculate the supply services portion of your bill.
◉ Dynegy will be listed as your electricity supplier.
See an example National Grid bill.
Otherwise:
◉ Your bill will continue to come from National Grid.
◉ You will continue to send bill payments to National Grid.
◉ You will continue to call National Grid if your power goes out.
If you are on a budget plan or are eligible for a low-income delivery rate or fuel assistance, you continue to receive those benefits as a participant in Webster PowerUp.
No. National Grid will continue to bill you for your electricity, and this is the only electricity bill you will receive as a participant in Webster PowerUp.
No. You will continue to receive those benefits as a participant in Webster PowerUp.
Participation
All electricity customers within the geographic boundaries of Webster are eligible to join the program. New electricity customers in Webster will be automatically enrolled a few months after opening their account.
Important note: For any customer who previously opted out of or left the program and wishes to re-enroll, the program’s electricity supplier is entitled to charge a market price instead of the program price for the remainder of the current electricity supply contract. If the program’s electricity supplier decides to charge market pricing, you will be notified before enrollment and can decide then whether to continue with enrollment or not.
If you are a new resident in Webster or have opened a new National Grid electricity account, you will receive a notification about the program by mail a few months after opening your account. If you wish to participate, you need to do nothing. You will be automatically enrolled if you do not opt out.
If you have signed an electricity supply contract with another electricity supplier, you will not be automatically enrolled. However, you are welcome to join the program. To join, enroll online or contact customer support and ask to join. We recommend that you carefully check the terms and conditions of your supplier agreement. You may be charged an early termination fee if you leave your current contract.
Important note: For any customer who previously opted out of or left the program and wishes to re-enroll, the program’s electricity supplier is entitled to charge a market price instead of the program price for the remainder of the current electricity supply contract. If the program’s electricity supplier decides to charge market pricing, you will be notified before enrollment and can decide then whether to continue with enrollment or not.
If you have signed an electricity supply contract with another supplier, you are welcome to join the program.
To enroll, you may enroll online or contact customer support.
We recommend that you carefully check the terms and conditions of your supplier agreement. Your ability to terminate your agreement with your supplier may be restricted. You may be charged an early termination fee.
Important note: For any customer who previously opted out of or left the program and wishes to re-enroll, the program’s electricity supplier is entitled to charge a market price instead of the program price for the remainder of the current electricity supply contract. If the program’s electricity supplier decides to charge market pricing, you will be notified before enrollment and can decide then whether to continue with enrollment or not.
To choose the PowerUp Green and receive 100% renewable electricity, complete the online form or contact customer support.
You may choose not to participate. This is called opting out. You may opt out at any time. There is no penalty for opting out. If you choose to opt out, you will be returned to National Grid’s Basic Service.
If you received a program notification letter in the mail, sign and return the reply card that you receive with the letter. You must postmark your response within 30 days of the date on the letter in order to be opted out of the program before being enrolled. Or you may allow yourself to be enrolled, try the program for a time, and opt out later.
You may also opt out online or by contacting customer support with Webster’s program consultants.
The automatic enrollment model is the state law for municipal electricity aggregation programs like Webster PowerUp. Webster did not have a choice with the model.
However, participation is not required, and you may opt out to prevent enrollment or anytime after enrollment with no penalty or fee.
Yes, however, for any customer who previously opted out of or left the program and wishes to re-enroll, the program’s electricity supplier is entitled to charge a market price instead of the program price for the remainder of the current electricity supply contract. If the program’s electricity supplier decides to charge market pricing, you will be notified before enrollment and can decide then whether to continue with enrollment or not.
You are welcome to submit your large commercial account for enrollment online or over the phone, however you may be offered market pricing instead of program pricing when initially enrolling in the program. If your account is eligible for market pricing, you will be informed of the market price prior to being enrolled, and have the opportunity to accept it or reject it. If you enroll in the program at a market price, you will receive the program price under all future contracts if you remain in the program without interruption.
National Grid
No. National Grid’s quality of service will not be affected by your participation in the program. National Grid does not profit from the supply charges on your electric bill. They make their profit from delivery charges. As a result, they have no preference whether they are your supplier or Webster chooses a different supplier for you.
No. Webster PowerUp does not replace National Grid. National Grid will still be your electricity utility, and your primary relationship for electricity will continue to be with National Grid:
1. Your electricity bill will continue to come from National Grid.
2. You will continue to send bill payments to National Grid.
3. You will continue to call National Grid if your power goes out.
4. If you are eligible for a low-income rate or fuel assistance, you will continue to receive those benefits.
Renewable Electricity
The minimum amount increases every year. For 2023, Massachusetts state law requires that renewable electricity must be purchased from renewable energy projects in New England to match 22% of your electricity use.
In addition, state law requires the purchase of a minimum amount of renewable energy from older renewable energy projects in New England, as well as from some other energy sources that are considered highly efficient but not renewable.
For more information, visit the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources page on compliance information for the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Webster PowerUp Green is different from most other renewable electricity offers.
With Webster PowerUp Green, you will buy renewable electricity to match 100% of your electricity use, and it will all be “premium” from renewable energy projects in the New England region (MA Class I RECs).
By choosing PowerUp Green and buying renewable electricity to match all of your electricity use, you will make an important contribution to:
◉ reducing Webster’s greenhouse gas emissions
◉ creating demand for more renewable electricity on the New England power grid
◉ supporting local renewable energy businesses and the jobs that go with them
◉ reducing local air pollution