September 26, 2005

SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury Electric will raise electric rates for all rate classes by 4.8% for bills issued after October 1, 2005. This will be the first Electric rate increase since July 2001. The increase is necessary due to increased costs of fuel oil and natural gas needed to produce electric energy.

“The rate change was planned for in SELCO’s 2005 budget process when there were signs that fuel costs would necessitate an increase,” said Thomas R. Josie, SELCO General Manager. “SELCO will be using cash reserves to lessen the impact of the increase on customers.”

Josie said Shrewsbury Electric is keeping rates as low as possible but that they have no control over the
impact of increased fuel oil and natural gas costs which may force another rate increase. The good news is that SELCO customers pay lower rates than customers in neighboring systems.

“Even after this increase, SELCO’s rates for a typical Shrewsbury Electric customer will be 37.3% less than those of neighboring electric systems,” Josie said. “The monthly bill for a 500 kWh residential customer will increase $2.30 per month, from $48.60 to $50.90.”

June 24, 2005

SHREWSBURY - The June 23, 2005 Worcester Telegram front page article, “Electric Rate War Launched,” highlights recent marketing attempts by competitive electric suppliers to sell electric energy to Mass Electric customers. The substance of the article does not apply to SELCO’s electric customers. However, it may raise questions about the competitiveness of our electric rates.

Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that may help clarify the rate comparisons.

Q. As a customer of SELCO, can I buy electric energy from a competitive supplier such as Dominion?

A. No. The 1998 state law allows customers of investor owned utilities, such as Mass Electric, to have the option to purchase the electric energy component of their electric service from competitive suppliers. This section of the law does not apply to municipally owned utilities such as SELCO.

Q. The newspaper article states that “Massachusetts Electric charges 7.213 cents per kilowatt hour”, that seems to be less per kwh than I’m paying to SELCO, is that true?

A. The statement is deceiving. The 7.213 cent rate is only for the “Basic Service” or the energy component of the total per kwh rate Mass Electric charges to its customers. There are additional per kwh charges not mentioned in the article.

Q. How then does SELCO rates compare with Mass Electric’s rates?

A. The total bill for a residential customer who uses 500 kwh per month is $48.60 from SELCO. The equivalent total bill for Mass Electric is $64.01. SELCO customer pays $15.41 or 24% less per month than Mass Electric. (See comparison chart below.)

Q. If SELCO would allow me to purchase the energy portion of my electric service from a competitive electric supplier, would I save money?

A. No. SELCO is able to buy electric energy in bulk for the entire Town. The cost per kwh that SELCO pays for energy is less than any competitive provider would be willing and able to sell to any individual residential customer in Shrewsbury.

The summer heat has arrived and it's a great time to prepare your home to stay cozy warm this winter.

Take advantage of the weather to make the improvements your house needs to increase energy efficiency and you could receive an incentive up to $300. View the flyer below for more information.

• Click to view Home Energy Audit flyer
  
  

SAVE ON ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES!
$25-50 REBATES On Select:

• WASHERS
• REFRIGERATORS
• DISHWASHERS
• AIR CONDITIONERS

Shrewsbury Electric is participating in a promotion to save customers money on the purchase of Energy Star appliances. Rebates are split between Shrewsbury Electric and the manufacturers. Energy Star appliances help conserve water and /or energy.

REBATE FOR MACHINES PURCHASED BETWEEN JAN. 1 AND DEC. 31, 2005
Numerous brand names and models are eligible including Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Frigidaire, GE, Maytag, Equator and Whirlpool (customers should check stores for eligible machines).

The process is simple:

• Customer purchases Energy Star label washer between Jan 1st and Dec. 31, 2005
• Fills out mail-in form (available at Electric Department in Town Hall and/or on Town Website)
• Mail to: EFI Municipal Appliance Rebates
  40 Washington Street, Suite 3000
  Westborough, MA 01581-1013
• Energy Federation Inc. (EFI) will mail a rebate check to the customer.*

Click Here to download the mail-in rebate application form.

*Allow 6-8 weeks for processing

List of Participating Locations:

SELCO (Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations) now offers the convenience of online bill payment for customers who would like to use their credit or debit cards (MC, VISA, AMEX, Discover) or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to pay their bills.

“We’re pleased to offer SELCO EZpay for customers who would like to make payments online” said Thomas R. Josie, SELCO General Manager. “Customers will have the option of making one-time payments or setting up a recurring plan in which payments will automatically be debited from their account each month.”

Shrewsbury customers have the option of setting up automatic monthly payment withdrawals from their checking, savings, debit, EFT, or credit accounts.

SELCO customers can access their online payment option by going to www.selcoezpay.com. They can also call SELCO at 508-841-8500 for more information.