Electric Bills For Summit Residents To Drop In 2026: See When

SUMMIT, NJ — Residents are on a path to lower energy bills in the first few months of the new year, the City of Summit said on Monday.

The City, as part of a Community Energy Aggregation Program, joined three other municipalities in securing a bulk contract for power in 2026.

As a result of this larger volume deal, eligible residents will pay less for power beginning in March 2026.

Along with the Borough of Lincoln Park, Jefferson Township, and Mount Olive Township, Summit entered into a 19-month contract with Direct Energy Services, LLC. This agreement covers electric service for residential customers who have meter reads in March 2026.

The aggregation is part of the Garden State Community Energy Cooperative (GSCEC), the larger agreement entered into in 2023 by the four municipalities to work together in order to lower costs for New Jersey customers and advance green alternatives.

Through the GSCEC, a rate of $0.1446 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) was secured. This beat JCP&L's "Basic Generation" rate of $0.156033 per kWh at the Oct. 3 auction.

"This new contract offers price stability through September 2027 and provides the option for households to support 100% renewable energy," the GSCEC said.

Summit residents who will be eligible to apply for the new program include those who have not already signed on with a third-party supplier, those who do not have a net meter associated with solar power, and/or those who don't have a time-of-day (on or off-peak) meter.

Residents will be automatically enrolled, but will be able to apply for one of three choices:

• Standard service at $0.1446 per kWh that provides the minimum state renewable energy requirements
• Green service at $0.1461 per kWh that provides 100 percent of renewable energy certificates for wind and solar power
• Opt-out and stay with JCP&L's Basic Generation level service

JCP&L will continue to provide electricity, handle all repairs, and coordinate billing. Residents on the "Budget Billing" program will have their packages move automatically to the new supplier.

According to the City, eligible residents will receive an information packet in the mail. The deadline to opt out before automatic enrollment starts is Jan. 31, 2026.

There are no costs to join or opt out of the program, and residents can opt-out whenever they'd like during the 19-month term of the contract.

A number of information sessions will be held leading up to the deadline.

The GSCEC will answer questions on Jan. 14, 2026 at 1 p.m. in the Senior Card Room at the Summit Community Center (100 Morris Ave.). There will be another in-person event on Jan. 20, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Whitman Community Room on the second floor of Summit City Hall (512 Springfield Ave.).

Virtual sessions will also be held on Jan. 13 (12 p.m.) and Jan. 15, 2026 (6 p.m.) via Zoom.

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