Utility Aggregation Programs

Be an informed consumer. Visit the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's Apples-to-Apples rate charts.

Free CFL Program:

The high efficiency light bulb (commonly know as CFLs) program by FirstEnergy Corp makes up to six light bulbs available to customers.

Consumers who want the bulbs delivered for free should call 888-846-2235. Consumers should have a copy of their electric bill in hand before calling. Consumers will need to provide the following information:

The name of their utility (The Illuminating Company) and;
Their account number

To view a sample bill for reference click here.

Electric Aggregation:

Beginning in 2000, the City of Parma successfully implemented the Parma Electric Aggregation Program pursuant to the voted mandate of the March 7, 2000 election. In addition, the Law Department prepared for Council a Governance Plan and conducted all necessary public hearings to become the first certified Governmental Aggregation unit in the State of Ohio. Most importantly, the City of Parma successfully applied for and received for a five (5) year period, market support generation (MSG), a discounted supply of electricity. Specifications were prepared and a supplier for electricity was recommended to City Council.

Parma residents have saved more than $15 million on their electric bills as a result of the electric Aggregation Program that began in March 2001. This initial program expired in December, 2008.

Parma again was able to negotiate a contract authorized by City Council in May, 2009, for provision of electricity for residential and commercial customers to participate in the City of Parma Electric Aggregation Program for the period of July 2009 to May 2018. The supplier is FirstEnergy Solutions (FES), with a guaranteed savings of 6% for residential and 4% for commercial properties for the entire contract period. Unfortunately, FES does not allow for a budget program through their service. Residents may maintain a budget while a member of the aggregation program, but only for the portion billed by the utility which is only a small portion of the monthly bill.

Opt-out forms were mailed out in June, 2009. Residents did not have to take any action to be a part of the Parma Electric Aggregation to save on their electric bills through May, 2018.

Any questions regarding Parma's Electric Aggregation Program should be directed to FirstEnergy Solutions at 1-866-636-3749.

Natural Gas Aggregation:

The City of Parma is pleased to announce that it has reinstated its natural gas aggregation program through affiliation with the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC), effective with residents’ gas meter reading in April, 2010.

NOPEC has been providing gas and electric to 126 communities in Northeast Ohio since 2001. This organization is a public entity that does not make a profit and does not charge the City of Parma to be a part of its program. NOPEC is the largest governmental aggregation in the U.S. and has, therefore, been able in the past to provide very competitive rates for the residents and small businesses of its member communities.

The NOPEC rate is a fixed rate, but a variable rate is available for those residents who wish to remain on a variable rate. NOPEC’s rates are as follows: November, 2011 - December, 2011 billing cycle is: $0.636/ccf; January, 2012 - March, 2011 billing cycle is: $0.632/ccf; April, 2012 - July, 2012 billing cycle is: $0.596/ccf. These rates are very competitive for fixed rate programs. The supplier of the natural gas under the Parma/NOPEC plan is Dominion Retail.

NOPEC will continue to solicit Parma residents who are not part of the natural gas aggregation program when a customer terminates a contract with another supplier. Residents will receive an opt-out notice form NOPEC in which you will have 21 (twenty-one) days to opt-out of the program. If you do nothing, you will automatically become part of the Parma/NOPEC program. If, however, for some reason you later choose to leave the Parma/NOPEC program, you can do so at no charge.

Any questions regarding Parma’s Natural Gas Aggregation program should be directed to NOPEC at 1-888-848-7914.

Residents are always able to select another supplier to compare pricing of natural gas suppliers from the "Apples-to-Apples" Natural Gas Rate Comparison Chart available on the Public Utilities website at: www.puco.ohio.gov or remain with the utility, Columbia Gas of Ohio.