TORONTO, Ohio — Toronto officials are working to find the lowest natural gas aggregation prices for the community.
During Monday’s council meeting, John Ney, business development director for Regor Energy, walked council members through different rates and listened to input from council for a new agreement next year.
Ney has overseen the area’s aggregation programs for more than a decade, and this program was first authorized in 2022.
Gas aggregation is extended to residents and small businesses so they can take advantage of a better rate.
“We did a 12-month agreement last year and that agreement expires in 2026,” Ney said. “So, we’re here to look at the rates, to explain the rates.”
Council had the option of choosing between fixed, variable or third-party rates.
After careful consideration, council made a motion to authorize the city’s mayor to sign a contract for the 24-month fixed gas rate.
Councilman At-Large Mike Burkey said the recommendation will benefit residents for several reasons.
“They’ll have a locked in rate, so they won’t have to worry about costs spiking in the winter,’ Burkey said. “Of course, we can’t control the usage, but we can help control the cost.”
In terms of rising energy costs, Ney said electricity and gas rates have increased considerably over the past several years. He referenced a few contributing factors to the rising costs, including weather, utility costs and exports of natural gas.
As for the city’s gas aggregation program, there is no obligation to participate and there are no cancel fees to be a part of it.