Natural Gas Aggregation

The good news is that the horrid Union Township natural gas aggregation rate of $0.839/ccf will soon expire. (In all fairness, it was a competitive rate when it was originally negotiated.) The new rate will be $0.5894/ccf in November. To put that in perspective the September Duke rate is $0.6496/ccf. However, if you prefer to manage your gas supply contracts independently, outside of the aggregation program, you can view various rates offered by a host of different suppliers that did not bid on the aggregation program at EnergyChoice.Ohio.gov/ApplesToApples.aspx. Some of the available offers may be more competitive than the Township aggregation rate, but please be sure to carefully review the rates and offers to make sure you do not incur early termination fees or other hidden costs if you elect to manage your gas supply contract outside of the aggregation program.

The aggregation rate will be fixed for 12 months with no additional fees and no early termination fee. Per a vote of the people of Union Township, energy aggregation enrollment is automatic for most residents. There are two ways to be automatically enrolled: 1) You are currently in the UT gas aggregation program; 2) You currently purchase your gas energy from Duke. If you already purchase gas from another independent energy supplier, you should not receive an aggregation enrollment notice. Don’t confuse gas energy with gas distribution as they are two separate components of your underlying gas bill. (All of us rely on Duke for distribution, maintenance, repair, and billing.)

Electric Aggregation

The Union Township electric aggregation rate is $0.0651/kWh. (To put that in perspective the September Duke rate is $0.0801/kWh.) The UT aggregation rate will remain fixed through the May 2025 billing cycle. There are no monthly fees or fees for opting-in or opting-out. Like natural gas, don’t confuse electric energy with electric distribution as they are two separate components of your underlying electric bill.

More information on both aggregation programs can be found at UTClermont.gov/170/Energy-Aggregation. As always, if you have questions about either program, please feel free to contact the Township at 513-752-1741 or call me at 513-753-6440. I’m no expert, but I’ll try to be helpful.

Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA)

A DORA is a designated area where residents and visitors are permitted to purchase alcoholic beverages, in a designated cup, and carry the beverage within the DORA boundaries. Those boundaries include the UT Civic Center campus, the entire Jungle Jim’s shopping complex, and the 32 East Retail Center to the North. More information can be found at UTClermont.gov/319/DORA.

Upcoming events

– Our last Farmers Market for the season will be Sept. 20.

– The Mt. Moriah Lantern Lighting event will be Sept. 21.

– End of Summer Celebration and Fireworks will be Sept. 28.

– The Fire Department will be hosting a Fire Prevention Week Open House on Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Station 51 (Water Tower).

– Fall Junk Days is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 24 through the 26th at the Services Department. (The dates are subject to change due to road construction).

– Halloween from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Additionally, the Union Township Board of Trustees meets the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m.

Schedules are always subject to change and can be found on our website at UTClermont.gov. The meeting videos as well as our event calendars can be found there.

Also, you can find our newsletter on our website and you can sign up for automatic event notifications at UTClermont.gov/list.aspx.

Trustees Michael Logue, Joe Dills, and I are accessible and approachable. That is also true of Fiscal Officer Ron Campbell, Administrator Cory Wright, and our staff. If you need anything or just want to chat, call me at home at 513-753-6440. Or call 513-752-1741 to speak with any staff member at the Civic Center.

John Becker has been a Union Township Trustee since January 1, 2022. He previously served as a State Representative from 2013 – 2020 until forced out by term limits. You can subscribe to his political newsletter “The Becker Report” at BeckerGOP.com.