Two years after it established an aggregation program to reduce electrical rates, the Village of Lombard is returning to Commonwealth Edison, inking a deal that will raise rates more than 65 percent.

The village board voted Thursday to make the move because, despite the significant increase, ComEd offered the lowest rate.

"We weren't able to beat ComEd. It's that simple," Village Manager Scott Niehaus said Friday.

According to the village, the ComEd rate for June through September is 7.6 cents and 7.42 cents per kilowatt hour for the remaining 8 months. ComEd is also planning to reset rates again in the fall. The rates offered by ComEd are for the 12-month period beginning June 1.

Whether the village chose with an aggregator or ComEd, rates are going up. The village's current supplier is First Energy and the rate is 4.6 cents per kilowatt hours. The summer ComEd rate is more than 65 percent higher than the First Energy rate.

The village received bid proposals from First Energy and from other energy companies including Constellation Energy, Homefield Energy, Integrys and Verde. Next to ComEd, the lowest three-year fixed rate proposal came from Constellation at 7.74 cents per kilowatt hour.

"We will always have the ability to go out to the competitive market in one year, but we see no reason why the village should lock its citizens into a rate that is higher than what ComEd would provide," Niehaus said.

The village posed a ballot question two years ago to voters who gave them the go-ahead to field rates from other suppliers than ComEd. Anyone who didn't want to access the rate had to opt out of the program. Only a handful opted out, Niehaus said.

"We were happy with aggregation," he said. "That model worked."

Even though the village is choosing the lowest rate available, Niehaus said residents will see an increase in their electric bill. ComEd's rates represent a 21 percent increase over their current rates, he said.

Niehaus said when the aggregation programs started two years ago, power rates were at 10-year lows, and the village was able to take advantage of that low pricing. The village estimates that the aggregation program saved residents an estimated $3.36 million in total, or $246 per household during the first 15 months of the program.

Niehaus said the village will continue to keep an eye on the market.

"We're going to continue to review rates and we'll continue to be competitive on behalf of residents," he said.

amannion@tribune.com