Blandford Switches Power Provider, Projects $9,843 in Annual Savings

BLANDFORD -- May 6, 2024, Blandford Select Board votes unanimously to switch municipal electricity supplier, saving nearly $10,000 a year. The board approved a 60-month contract with Constellation Energy at a locked rate of 12.630 cents per kilowatt hour, down from the current Eversource rate of 16.179 cents, based on the town's average annual usage of 277,341 kilowatt hours, cutting the annual bill from $44,871 to roughly $35,028. The board also hired former town administrator Christopher Dunn as a consultant at $50 per hour to prepare the FY25 operating and capital budgets, enterprise fund financials, and town meeting warrant, as the town remains without a permanent administrator. A presentation on the town's MIIA risk management rewards program revealed Blandford completed just two of 65 required activities in fiscal year 2024, earning a credit of only $349; board members directed staff to consult Pioneer Valley Planning Commission about creating a risk management coordinator position. The highway superintendent contract discussion was tabled to the following week.