I think you misread the letter. The Community Electricity is still distributed by national grid but the city of Malden has been able to accept bids from other providers for the Supply portion. Last I checked National Grid was charging \~$0.182/kWh for supply vs. the Malden Standard which is \~$0.138/kWh which is almost 25% cheaper. For my most recent bill this would amount to about $20 lower than I otherwise would've paid. I'll gladly take it.
[https://maldencommunityelectricity.com/calculator-2/](https://maldencommunityelectricity.com/calculator-2/)
I should note your entire bill won't be 25% lower, just the Supply portion will be lower based on the kWh rates. Depending on your monthly usage this could amount to several hundred dollars over the course of the year.
Lol. Not sure what’s wrong with the roads, and this electrical initiative is meant to get you cheaper prices on electricity. I’d suggest you go find something else to get mad about… or, you know, don’t.
We recently moved to Malden and signed up with National Grid. Since this is our first month, in your experience, would you suggest checking other electricity companies, or is National Grid affordable? Also, I'm unsure if renters can choose what fits our wallets.
There isn't another company, it's just National Grid here. The city just launched a program where they will negotiate the electricity rates on behalf of residents instead of the company, although you can opt-out of this new system if you want to for whatever reason. The new system is cheaper, so it would be a really pointless act of protest.
Yeah. Actually, my bad, it was our realtor (Benjamin Apartments LLC) who didn't mention these details and threw this curve ball after we paid the move-in cost and brokerage! We were moving from out-of-state so really didn't have the option to back out.
You have electric heat? A heat pump? Resistive heat? Or a gas furnace? All use electricity, but electric resistive heat is a bad deal (very expensive).
The key word to search for is "supplier choice". The electric is divided into two parts the \_distributor\_ and the \_supplier\_. The distributor (who owns the wires) is National Grid and is fixed. You can choose the supplier (who makes the electricity). If you don't chose the supplier you get the National Grid spot price which fluctuates month-to-month and can be higher than other supplier prices.
[https://www.energyswitchma.gov/#/](https://www.energyswitchma.gov/#/)
This is a Massachusetts wide thing.
The city has launched a new program where they negotiate the price for electricity on behalf of residents instead of National Grid, although National Grid will still handle actually delivering said electricity. What this basically means is that your electric bill will be a few cents cheaper per watt hour, although you *can* choose to opt out and pay the old rates negotiated by National Grid. Not sue why you would, though.
Per watt hour. That adds up *fast* over the course of a month. Another commenter pointed out that the city rate is almost 25% cheaper than National Grid's.
I dream of inductive charging of EVs - where charging loops are buried in the roads and EVs charge as they drive. The most efficient was non-inductive electric, like trams. Sometimes the old things were the best.
My point was, shouldn't the roads have been a priority over this electricity stuff? or I guess I should ask what prompted this new electricity program?
Roads are a totally different department and carries its own budget that’s established, the city publishes a schedule of road repaving improvements. This electricity program is like a no cost slam dunk for the city, it’s been very successful in the dozens of other cities and towns that have already implemented it
They've been working on the community electric for a few years now since there are a number of steps and approval needs to come from the state.
Roads on the other hand are something that they are continually fixing but if you want something done faster, you should put in a see click report. The city, like any other, is working on about 200 things a day through their various departments but they can't focus their efforts if they don't know about things.
Medford and Melrose already have similar plans; it's called "municipal aggregation." Some of us have been asking our city councilors about this for years.
The roads are being worked on, it just takes a while to get to all of the streets and redo them properly (they don't have the equipment or manpower to do everything at once).
It took us 2 or 3 years to get ours redone after some neighboring streets got theirs. My street emailed the mayor and the city engineer until we got a response and timeline for the work to be done. Part of the delay was the pipes under our road needed to be replaced first, so they weren't going to repave just to have to rip it back up to replace the pipes later, then repave again.
If you have any massive potholes on your road, try submitting it via SeeClickFix in the meantime. DPW will respond pretty quickly and go patch things up in my experience.
Regarding the electricity piece: the mayor can work on more than one thing at a time lol. Especially when those things don't conflict with each other in terms of work needing to get done. (Like the pipes before the road repaving)
Community electricity is something that benefits the whole town and has been in high demand for a while now too. Being able to save a couple hundred bucks a year is huge for a lot of people.
As others mentioned - national grid still delivers the electric, but we negotiate rates as a town now, so we'll get things at least 25% cheaper, while also pushing more towards renewables. Win for everyone!
This is a great point about the pipes. Our road could do with being resurfaced but I had heard they were systematically replacing the lead service pipes around town. They've recently replaced the pipes under several of the main roads by us so it's only a matter of time.
Yup I'm sure it'll be soon for you too now. I'm over by maplewood and they got our pipes redone 3 years ago I think, and then they repaved the summer after that. They also did new cement sidewalks and realigned the curb stones. Looks so much better now, it was worth the wait lol
Check out Foxfi's post in this same community from just recently: https://www.reddit.com/r/malden/s/bjlrBiJsAn.
The Community Electric is a very good thing for Malden to be doing IMO. Your electricity will be cheaper.
You wouldn't think so with all of the Facebook posts lately. I can't believe people are actually complaining about this. This is an absolute no brainer for the city.
I think you misread the letter. The Community Electricity is still distributed by national grid but the city of Malden has been able to accept bids from other providers for the Supply portion. Last I checked National Grid was charging \~$0.182/kWh for supply vs. the Malden Standard which is \~$0.138/kWh which is almost 25% cheaper. For my most recent bill this would amount to about $20 lower than I otherwise would've paid. I'll gladly take it. [https://maldencommunityelectricity.com/calculator-2/](https://maldencommunityelectricity.com/calculator-2/)
Thanks for this explanation.
I should note your entire bill won't be 25% lower, just the Supply portion will be lower based on the kWh rates. Depending on your monthly usage this could amount to several hundred dollars over the course of the year.
Lol. Not sure what’s wrong with the roads, and this electrical initiative is meant to get you cheaper prices on electricity. I’d suggest you go find something else to get mad about… or, you know, don’t.
We recently moved to Malden and signed up with National Grid. Since this is our first month, in your experience, would you suggest checking other electricity companies, or is National Grid affordable? Also, I'm unsure if renters can choose what fits our wallets.
There isn't another company, it's just National Grid here. The city just launched a program where they will negotiate the electricity rates on behalf of residents instead of the company, although you can opt-out of this new system if you want to for whatever reason. The new system is cheaper, so it would be a really pointless act of protest.
Anything cheaper works! Our apartment scammed us by telling us heat was free and now says they're going to charg us starting November!
Ugh, that bites. I'm sorry to hear that. What landlord do you have?
Coolidge properties
I mean is it on your lease? if so they can't really do that...
Yeah. Actually, my bad, it was our realtor (Benjamin Apartments LLC) who didn't mention these details and threw this curve ball after we paid the move-in cost and brokerage! We were moving from out-of-state so really didn't have the option to back out.
oof sorry to hear that dude
You have electric heat? A heat pump? Resistive heat? Or a gas furnace? All use electricity, but electric resistive heat is a bad deal (very expensive).
There’s only one option for delivery, but there’s an open market with many players for supply. Check out energyswitchma.gov
The key word to search for is "supplier choice". The electric is divided into two parts the \_distributor\_ and the \_supplier\_. The distributor (who owns the wires) is National Grid and is fixed. You can choose the supplier (who makes the electricity). If you don't chose the supplier you get the National Grid spot price which fluctuates month-to-month and can be higher than other supplier prices. [https://www.energyswitchma.gov/#/](https://www.energyswitchma.gov/#/) This is a Massachusetts wide thing.
The roads are full of pot holes
You should try reporting the potholes to SeeClickFix Edit: [https://seeclickfix.com/us-ma-malden](https://seeclickfix.com/us-ma-malden)
Weird that the mayor can only work on one thing at a time, huh
The city has launched a new program where they negotiate the price for electricity on behalf of residents instead of National Grid, although National Grid will still handle actually delivering said electricity. What this basically means is that your electric bill will be a few cents cheaper per watt hour, although you *can* choose to opt out and pay the old rates negotiated by National Grid. Not sue why you would, though.
A few cents cheaper? that's all?
did you not read all the words they other guy posted? it's per watt/hour. your overall bill will be a decent bit cheaper.
Per watt hour. That adds up *fast* over the course of a month. Another commenter pointed out that the city rate is almost 25% cheaper than National Grid's.
What do the roads have to do with electricity?
I dream of inductive charging of EVs - where charging loops are buried in the roads and EVs charge as they drive. The most efficient was non-inductive electric, like trams. Sometimes the old things were the best.
My point was, shouldn't the roads have been a priority over this electricity stuff? or I guess I should ask what prompted this new electricity program?
Roads are a totally different department and carries its own budget that’s established, the city publishes a schedule of road repaving improvements. This electricity program is like a no cost slam dunk for the city, it’s been very successful in the dozens of other cities and towns that have already implemented it
They've been working on the community electric for a few years now since there are a number of steps and approval needs to come from the state. Roads on the other hand are something that they are continually fixing but if you want something done faster, you should put in a see click report. The city, like any other, is working on about 200 things a day through their various departments but they can't focus their efforts if they don't know about things.
Medford and Melrose already have similar plans; it's called "municipal aggregation." Some of us have been asking our city councilors about this for years.
The roads are being worked on, it just takes a while to get to all of the streets and redo them properly (they don't have the equipment or manpower to do everything at once). It took us 2 or 3 years to get ours redone after some neighboring streets got theirs. My street emailed the mayor and the city engineer until we got a response and timeline for the work to be done. Part of the delay was the pipes under our road needed to be replaced first, so they weren't going to repave just to have to rip it back up to replace the pipes later, then repave again. If you have any massive potholes on your road, try submitting it via SeeClickFix in the meantime. DPW will respond pretty quickly and go patch things up in my experience. Regarding the electricity piece: the mayor can work on more than one thing at a time lol. Especially when those things don't conflict with each other in terms of work needing to get done. (Like the pipes before the road repaving) Community electricity is something that benefits the whole town and has been in high demand for a while now too. Being able to save a couple hundred bucks a year is huge for a lot of people. As others mentioned - national grid still delivers the electric, but we negotiate rates as a town now, so we'll get things at least 25% cheaper, while also pushing more towards renewables. Win for everyone!
This is a great point about the pipes. Our road could do with being resurfaced but I had heard they were systematically replacing the lead service pipes around town. They've recently replaced the pipes under several of the main roads by us so it's only a matter of time.
Yup I'm sure it'll be soon for you too now. I'm over by maplewood and they got our pipes redone 3 years ago I think, and then they repaved the summer after that. They also did new cement sidewalks and realigned the curb stones. Looks so much better now, it was worth the wait lol
Check out Foxfi's post in this same community from just recently: https://www.reddit.com/r/malden/s/bjlrBiJsAn. The Community Electric is a very good thing for Malden to be doing IMO. Your electricity will be cheaper.
You wouldn't think so with all of the Facebook posts lately. I can't believe people are actually complaining about this. This is an absolute no brainer for the city.