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details. Sue told me that the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) has already done the homework on various options and recommended that towns in our area consider transferring to Good Energy as the electricity supplier. Good Energy is a national leader in municipal aggregation that offers lower electric bills through massive buying power of bulk purchasing. They get bids from the various electricity suppliers and get the best rate. The Rehoboth Selectmen met with a representative from Good Energy and SRPEDD and initiated the process for Good Energy to be the electricity supplier for Rehoboth. Good Energy has an excellent track record as an electricity aggregator in Illinois and are now expanding to Massachusetts. I called Good Energy to ask when we could switch to them as the supplier. They replied that they have passed several hurdles and are in the midst of more paperwork and approvals. In early summer they anticipate being available to Rehoboth residents. At that time, a mailing will be sent to all households in our town to inform them that there will be an automatic transfer from National Grid to Good Energy as the electricity supplier. You do not need to do anything except smile when you see your electric rates decrease, and thank our selectmen from having put this into place! For those of you who already have signed a contract with another supplier, you can join Good Energy when your current contract expires. You will have the opportunity to opt out of Good Energy if you prefer to go with another supplier. The best times to sign a contract to lock in favorable rates are in early spring and again in the summer when historically the rates are lowest. National Grid referred me to a Con Edison website that compared the prices and rated the various electricity suppliers. That web site was active last week but has now disappeared. However, a somewhat abbreviated comparative listing is available at . Currently, the listings for reputable companies that charge the least for fixed energy costs (locked in) and do not charge a cancellation fee are Direct Energy ($0.0925/kwh for 18 months or $0.0995/kwh for 12 months) and Con Edison Solutions ($0.0999/kwh for 8 months). Beware of some non-reputable companies! Looking ahead, the price will likely increase over time for nonrenewable energy (oil, gas, coal) that is used to generate electricity. Solar energy is an alternative, and one that we are happy to have chosen for our home. There is a 30% tax credit (meaning that you get a 30% refund from the government) that is in place now but expires December 31, 2016. Two to three solar hot water panels can generate most of your domestic hot water and in our previous home cut our oil bill almost in half. Solar photovoltaic panels can generate electricity for your home; if you generate more than you use, the excess is sent to National Grid that gives your account a credit for this amount (“net metering”). If you need more than you produce, then you simply buy it from National Grid. We produce about 70% of the electricity for our home with our solar photovoltaic panels, and are basically an all-electric home with no oil or gas. There are rental programs where you have no upfront costs and pay a monthly rental fee (includes free maintenance and repair) for twenty years at which time you own the panels. As an additional incentive to go solar, Massachusetts is one of the few states with SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) where you are paid for the electricity that you produce with solar panels. In SREC states, the Renewable Portfolio Standard requires electricity suppliers to secure a portion of their electricity from solar generators. All in all, this is cost effective for the consumer and forward thinking towards a sustainable environment. Susan G. McIlwain
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April 2015 The Reporter
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Reverse Mortgages... It’s All About Quality of Life Ken Ryan
NMLS# 12105
Reverse Mortgage Specialist Rehoboth, MA
774-991-1954
kryan@firstbankonline.com
FirstBank is a TN State chartered Depository Bank regulated by the TDFI and the FDIC. A Reverse Mortgage is an FHA-insured loan. Homeowners must be 62 years of age of older and live in the home as their primary residence. Homes must meet FHA/HUD minimum property standards. Borrowers must maintain hazard and flood insurance premiums, property taxes, utilities and make any property repairs. Although there are no monthly principal and interest mortgage payments, interest accrues on the portion of the loan amount disbursed. Reverse mortgages can use up all or some of the equity in your home and the amount you owe on a reverse mortgage grows over time. Loan must meet underwriting requirements. Program rates, fees, terms and conditions are not available in all states and subject to change. FirstBank Mortgage is a division of FirstBank. All products and services offered through FirstBank NMLS# 472433. This document is advertising by FirstBank and is not from FHA/HUD. This document is not approved by any government agency.