ComEd Notices Issued by Mistake

Some of the participants in the Village of Orland Park's Electrical Aggregation Program received notices from ComEd stating that their accounts were being dropped and changed back to ComEd. Others received "confirmation of rescind" notices from ComEd.

In March, the Village of Orland Park decided to switch electricity suppliers, to FirstEnergy Solutions. The notices were issued after FirstEnergy moved ahead with a premature transfer of some accounts, the village said.

"We've had a number of phone calls at the Village Hall in response to the letter," said Orland Park Village Manager Paul Grimes.

"The notices were sent because of an inadvertent and premature transfer of some of the village's accounts by First Energy, which prompted ComEd's system to send out the letters," Grimes explained.

Participants in the village's electrical aggregation program will be automatically transferred from the village's current supplier to First Energy Solutions in May. No further action is required on the part of those in the program unless they choose to opt out of electrical aggregation.

"We're doing everything we can to get the word out to let people know that they don't have to worry about the letter and that they'll be automatically transferred to the new supplier," Grimes said.

A special hotline has been established at the Orland Park Village Hall inviting residents with questions to call 708-403-5005.

Officials voted in March to part ways with current supplier Nordic Energy one month early, enabling the village to go ahead with FirstEnergy. The Village decided to make the switch after Nordic's rates went up. Beginning May 1, residents enrolled in the village's electric program will pay 6.46 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next three years. The current rate is set at 4.823 cents per kilowatt-hour. The agreement with FirstEnergy includes a clause that if ComEd's rate drops below FirstEnergy's, FirstEnergy must match that rate. Also, residents will be able to opt-out of FirstEnergy, if they choose.

FirstEnergy supplies power to more than 100 Illinois communities, including Chicago Heights, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Oak Forest and Palos Heights.