By Paula Pyzik Scott
Editor of the Bluffton Icon

Can you name the company that is your electric energy supplier?

This past summer I discovered that my participation in the local government aggregation program offered in Bluffton was inadvertently dropped. I wrote about this HERE.

The result of this error was like paying more than a thirteenth electricity bill, as shown by my recent refund.

While all electricity customers in Bluffton have distribution service by American Electric Power (AEP), you can choose a generation company from among a long list found on the Energy Choice Ohio website, you can choose to participate in the Bluffton/Allen County aggregation program or AEP can supply your electric energy at a variable rate.

You could say the aggregation program is an opportunity to have someone else do homework on current rates for you.

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I contacted Palmer Energy, the consulting company that negotiates with suppliers to create the regional Bluffton-Allen County offering. They reported that only a small number of customers had "fallen off" the aggregation list in January 2024 when the aggregation program switched from Energy Harbor to Dynegy.

This month my service choice was corrected. I now see Dynegy listed on my electricity bill as the supplier. This item is located mid-page under AEP charges for transmission and distribution. The Dynegy logo is prominently displayed.

I have received a pre-paid Mastercard for $161.68 as the refund for the amount I was charged above the Dynegy aggregation program rate.

It should be noted that if you have fallen off the aggregation plan, you need to do some detective work. The words "aggregation" and "Bluffton-Allen County" do not appear on your bill. There are no reminders that this is an option. 

The reason I know about this issue is because I regularly attend council meetings and report on them. Council member Jerry Cupples reported that he had fallen off the aggregation rolls and that it took a while to get it corrected.

To enroll in the aggregation program or to opt out, visit https://www.dynegy.com/municipal-aggregation/communities-we-serve/ohio/A... To learn more about aggregation, visit What is aggregation? on the Energy Choice website.