WHITEHOUSE – After nearly a year of waiting for the right moment, the Village of Whitehouse has locked in an electric aggregation rate of 10.171 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour), Administrator Jordan Daugherty announced on June 2.
While not much lower than the Toledo Edison June rate of 10.9992 cents per kWh, it’s still a savings – which was the goal of joining an aggregation program with the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), said Daugherty. The rate will remain in effect for 10 months, beginning with the August 2026 meter reading and subsequent billing.
“We had a very narrow window to lock in a decent rate compared to the full standard offering,” said Daugherty. “Nobody likes higher rates. The conditions are so volatile that sometimes not getting hit so hard is a positive.”
Last year, Council held public hearings on the aggregation program to answer questions. One of the most common was, “Can I opt out?” The answer is yes. Letters will be sent to most households, with information on the program and how to opt out.
Some households and businesses may not qualify for aggregation, including those that have their own contract through the PUCO Apples-to-Apples website, those who are on a Percentage of Income Payment Plan or those who have previously told PUCO that they do not want to participate in aggregation.
“Another common question is whether eligible customers can leave or join the SOPEC program after the opt-out period,” said Council President Steve Fine, who is a member of the SOPEC board. “They can, and there’s no fee to do that. However, if a customer terminates their own contract with a supplier early, there may be a fee.”
For those who don’t opt out, SOPEC will arrange the pricing while AEP Energy will supply the electricity.
SOPEC’s default rate is for 100 percent renewable energy, Fine added. Customers will be able to choose a plan with no renewable energy and a lower rate (9.9933). SOPEC has stated that for an average household the difference in cost between the two options would be around $2.00 a month.
Founded in 2014 in Athens, Ohio, SOPEC has grown into a statewide council doing business with large communities, including Dayton and Cleveland, as well as townships, villages, libraries and parks systems. Whitehouse was the first northwest Ohio community to join SOPEC.
During the meeting, council also:
-Heard that $175,000 is in the State Capital budget – meaning it’s approved but not official until October – that will pay for renovations in the front wedge of Whitehouse Park. That area, which recently had a new limestone and steel sign added, will get landscaping, a new flagpole, streetlights, stone pavers, concrete walk and large stone planters that double as seat walls – all coordinated with the streetscaping on Providence Street. This will highlight the existing statue and cannon in the park. The cost estimate is based on doing nearly all of the work, except irrigation and concrete, in-house, Daugherty said.
-Heard that Safety Town will be held at Whitehouse Primary School the week of June 22 with graduation on June 26.
-Learned that work on Cemetery Road will begin July 6 and last about two weeks.
-Thanked Dave Beakas for his service with the fire department. Fire Chief Jason Francis also reported that Spencer Wilkerson passed his paramedic exam, giving the department a total of 19 paramedics.
-Encouraged residents to attend the June 11-13 Cherry Fest and Founders Day celebration on July 2.
-Noted that council will not have a meeting on June 16.
-Heard Council Member Louann Artiaga ask about looking into lighting for the 50 parking spots along the bike trail and about the layout of the parking next to the Buzz Diner, as one spot would require backing up into Providence Street to exit.
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