Newton residents still on Eversource’s default electricity plan will see higher bills starting Aug. 1, while the city’s bulk-buying program offers a cheaper alternative.

Eversource’s Basic Service rate for residential customers will rise to 17.32 cents per kilowatt-hour, up from 15.629 cents. Newton Power Choice, the city’s municipal electricity aggregation program, remains locked at 13.99 cents per kilowatt-hour through January 2028.

That’s a difference of 3.33 cents per kilowatt-hour — about 19% less for customers enrolled in Newton Power Choice.

Green Newton, a local environmental nonprofit, highlighted the price gap July 5 and encouraged residents who previously opted out of the program to reconsider.

Newton Power Choice allows the city to negotiate electricity rates on behalf of residents. Direct Energy supplies the electricity, while Eversource continues to handle billing, delivery and outages.

Residents can leave the program at any time without a fee or contract. New Eversource customers are automatically enrolled unless they opt out.

Residents who previously left the program can request to rejoin, but the 13.99-cent rate is not guaranteed. Customers will be notified of the available rate before enrollment takes effect and can decline.

To learn more or enroll, visit masspowerchoice.com/newton or contact the program’s customer support line.

The current Newton Power Choice contract runs through January 2028. The program no longer includes additional voluntary purchases of renewable energy credits beyond the state requirement, citing a shortage of available credits.

Residents with solar panels, community solar credits, low-income discounts or fuel assistance will not see changes to those benefits.