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Gas Aggregation

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1. Who is the natural gas supplier for the City’s program?

IGS Energy won a competitive proposal process and will serve as our program’s supplier through September 2026. IGS Energy is certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and currently supplies customers and governmental aggregation programs across Ohio.

2. What is our new rate?

Our program offering is a 48-month fixed rate of $5.25/Mcf for your October 2022 through September 2026 meter reads. This rate compares favorably to offers residents can find on their own, and unlike many offers, our program has no penalty if you decide to leave early.

3. Why are prices higher than the prior term?

Prices are a reflection of the current market. Many factors including inflation, government policies, and conflict in eastern Europe have been the main drivers for the increase in prices.

4. What is Governmental Natural Gas Aggregation?

Simply put, it’s the entire community joining together to form one large buying group. By voting to allow an aggregation, residents allow their community to shop for natural gas on their behalf.

5. What are the benefits of Gas Aggregation?

When residents form one large buying group, they have more buying power. The aggregation is in a better position to negotiate favorable pricing and supply terms than what could ordinarily be achieved by any one individual resident.

6. What are the different types of Aggregations?

In Ohio there are two types of Aggregations. A community may conduct an “Opt-Out” program or an “Opt-In” program. With Opt-Out programs, each eligible resident is automatically enrolled in the program unless they notify the supplier that they do not wish to participate. With Opt-In programs, each resident must notify the supplier to actively enroll in the program. Opt-Out Aggregations are the most common types of aggregation programs, because they result in higher participation that usually results in lower rates. The City of North Canton has an Opt-Out Aggregation Program.

7. How does a community become an Aggregator?

For starters, a community must obtain the approval of voters to form a natural gas aggregation program. Community leaders are then permitted to proceed through a series of steps to become certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as a Governmental Natural Gas Aggregator.

8. What are the key steps in an Opt-Out Aggregation?

With the assistance of a PUCO certified consultant, a community seeks bids from Certified Retail Natural Gas Service Providers. A qualified bidder is selected to supply the aggregation with its gas for a set period of time. An “Opt-Out” Notice is sent to each eligible community resident prior to the start of the aggregation. Each resident has 21 days from the postmarked date on the notice to contact the supplier to withdraw or “Opt-Out” of the program. After the 21-day period, any resident not opting out will be submitted to the utility company for enrollment in the program. The utility company will send notice of the pending enrollment to each participating resident. Each resident will then have 7 days to rescind their enrollment in the program by contacting the utility company. After the 7-day rescission period, all participating customers are officially enrolled in the program. The new supplier will appear on your natural gas bill within one to two billing cycles after enrollment is verified by the utility.

9. Whom do I call if I have a problem with my natural gas service?

Dominion Energy Ohio (DEO) will continue to deliver your natural gas and maintain the pipeline system that brings it to your home or business. You will continue to call DEO 1-877-542-2630 for emergency repairs or gas leaks. For non-emergencies such as billing questions, service turn on or turn off, call 1-800-362-7557.

10. Will it cost me to join the program?

No. Enrollment in the program is free, and you need not take any action. You only need to be eligible to participate. Please refer to the eligibility criteria shown below.

11. Who is eligible for the program?

1.   Your local utility company must be Dominion Energy Ohio;

2.   You must not have chosen a supplier on your own;

3.   You must be a resident or business owner located within the community limits;

4.   You must not be a PIPP (percentage of income payment program) customer;

5.   You must not be in arrears on your bill payment; and

6.   You must not be a mercantile customer (natural gas commercial accounts using over 500 Mcf/year).

12. Does our community benefit from the program?

Yes. Our eligible community-owned facilities will be included in the program. 

13. When does the new offer start?

Customer switching takes place when meters are read. Therefore, your start date will depend on when DEO reads your meter. Your service from IGS Energy is expected to begin with your October 2022 meter read. 

14. How long is the program?

The community’s governmental aggregation program can go on indefinitely. This offer from IGS Energy is for 48 months and will end September 2026.

15. What if I don’t want to participate?

While most residents will remain in, and benefit from governmental aggregation programs, the choice is up to you. If you receive an opt-out letter and do not want to participate, you will have 21 days in which to return a reply form to IGS Energy, or call them toll free at 1-877-353-0162. If you fail to do that, IGS Energy will enroll you as a new customer. Dominion will then acknowledge the enrollment and send you a confirmation letter reminding you of the pending switch. That letter will mention that you can cancel the switch by contacting DEO within 7 days.

16. Will I get two bills?

No. For your convenience, you will continue to receive only one bill from DEO. It will show DEO’s delivery charges and the supply charge amount owed to IGS Energy. DEO continues to read your meter, issue monthly bills and responds to all service calls.

17. Can I remain on budget billing?

Yes.  If you are on budget billing, you will remain on budget billing.  

(Note: DEO calculates your monthly budget amount each month by summing your total delivered gas cost on a rolling 12-month basis and dividing that total by average monthly usage in the same 12-month period.)

18. Can I exit this program without penalty?

Yes. A very attractive feature of our program is your ability to leave free of charge at any time for any reason. There are several “formal” opportunities to take yourself out of the program. First, when an offer is presented you will have 21-days to opt-out by returning a form to IGS Energy or making a toll-free phone call. If you do not opt-out, DEO will then send a confirmation notice giving you 7 more days to cancel the switch. Furthermore, by law, you will be able to leave without penalty at least every two years. If you would like to leave the program at any time, simply notify IGS Energy at 1-877-353-0162.

19. My friend lives in a nearby community and has a different rate from IGS Energy than mine. Why?

Natural gas prices are highly volatile. Market rates change often and quickly. Price differences between communities will vary based primarily on the contract term and the dates on which pricing was secured for the community.

20. Can I enroll if I do not receive an Opt-Out Notice?

Yes. During the initial enrollment, any eligible resident that does not receive a letter may contact IGS Energy directly (1-877-353-0162) to receive the same rate.

21. Can I enroll after the initial enrollment period?

IGS Energy will always try to accommodate residents should they wish to enroll after the initial enrollment period. However, IGS Energy reserves the right to decline late enrollments depending on market conditions.

22. What if I currently purchase my gas from another supplier?

IGS Energy will mail solicitation letters to residents who are not eligible for automatic aggregation via the opt-out process. These customers will be able to receive the same rate as the aggregation program customers. Before you sign up, you should check to see if your current supplier charges an early termination fee. All residents should check the terms and conditions of their current contract for more information.

23. What happens if I’m part of the program and I move?

A resident moving within the same community can stay in the aggregation by providing IGS Energy with their new address. If a resident moves out of the community or does not provide IGS Energy with their new address, their participation will end and no early termination fee will apply.

24. Is this related to our community’s electric program?

The programs are similar but totally independent. The electric and gas programs have different suppliers and are on different time lines. You do not have to belong to one to participate in the other.

25. This sounds complex. Is our community qualified to handle such a program?

We have retained Independent Energy Consultants, Inc., a PUCO-certified broker and aggregator of electric and natural gas, without using any taxpayer money. They have designed, implemented, and administered hundreds of successful gas and electric programs across Ohio. We will have their assistance and that of IGS Energy throughout the program.

26. How do I contact IGS Energy?

You may contact IGS Energy at 1-877-353-0162.

27. These FAQs help but I still have a question, what do I do?

Additional questions can be directed to IGS Energy at 1-877-353-0162. For general information on natural gas deregulation in Ohio, you can also visit the websites of the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel, or the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. 

Note: While we are always happy to assist callers to the best of our ability, the city's involvement in our gas aggregation program is limited to Administration's establishment of the program's contract as an optional resource for our community. Thus, our ability to answer questions is often limited to providing contract-related information, or otherwise referring residents to either IGS Energy or Dominion Energy Ohio (DEO) for the most accurate information if we are unable to assist. Customer enrollment and account management will be handled by IGS Energy, and gas utility billing will continue to be handled by DEO.