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Quarterly News & Updates

OCTOBER | 2025

Celebrating Public Power Week with our Community

Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) was thrilled to welcome more than 350 attendees to this year’s Public Power Week Open House! The annual event celebrates the benefits of public power and connection between RMLD and the communities we serve.

Visitors enjoyed family-friendly activities, viewed lineworker demonstrations, explored a live model grid demonstration, and visited industry partner tables to learn about programs and resources. The event also showcased the importance of energy efficiency, safety, and community partnerships.

We extend our sincere thanks to the vendors and local organizations who helped make it possible, including Bruce’s Fun Company, Cal’s Brick Oven Pizza, Calareso’s Farm Stand, Caricatures Etcetera, Cupcake City, Harrows Chicken Pies, Making Magic Character Performers, Party Central Inc., Reading High School volunteers, the Reading Police Department (and Rusty the therapy dog), and Tremezzo Ristorante, and our partners: Abode Energy Management, Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), Northern Tree Service, and Tangent/Milton CAT.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Public Power Week and supporting your locally owned, not-for-profit utility.

Relive our favorite moments!

The GM's Corner

Dear customers,

By way of introduction, my name is Paul Heanue, and I am thrilled to be serving the RMLD team and customers as interim general manager.

I’ve been welcomed warmly by the communities we serve and the strong staff here at RMLD. The Board of Commissioners is working diligently to finalize the selection of the next general manager. During this time, the RMLD team continues to work to deliver strong customer service and low-cost, reliable, and increasingly non-carbon energy. Your experiences with RMLD will be seamless during this transition period.

Our team recently wrapped up a successful Power Week celebration—a time dedicated to recognizing the incredible effort and energy our employees bring every day. Their hard work continues to drive the reliable service and excellent experience you’ve come to expect from us.

Thank you for being a valued part of our community — we couldn’t do it without your continued support.

Paul Heanue

Interim General Manager

The winter months can be challenging for our neighbors and friends. Consider a donation to the Good Neighbor Energy Fund today.

Powering Curiosity: RMLD Visits Wilmington Cub Scout Pack 136

Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) reached new heights with Cub Scout Pack 136 as part of its Public Power Month celebration. RMLD’s team brought hands-on demonstrations to help Scouts learn how electricity and metering work together to power homes safely every day.

Paul Vartanian and Noah Bradley, both first class lineworkers, gave scouts an up-close look at the bucket truck and demonstrated the important role safety plays when working high above the ground. Caleb Schmidt, integrated resource analyst, used a model grid to show how electricity travels from generation to homes and businesses. Amy Kerr, advanced meter infrastructure technician, shared examples of meters from past and present and explained how metering technology has evolved.

Thank you to Wilmington Cub Scout Pack 136 for hosting RMLD and helping spark curiosity about how electricity keeps our community powered during Public Power Month and all year long.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, and RMLD reminds customers to stay alert and informed when it comes to protecting personal information. Scammers may pose as utility representatives.

RMLD will never demand immediate payment, or request gift cards over the phone or by email. If you ever receive a suspicious call or message, hang up or delete it and call RMLD directly at 781-942-6596 to verify account information.

Our recent handout, Don’t Get Scammed: Know the Signs of a Utility Scam, outlines common scam tactics and offers tips on how to recognize warning signs and avoid sharing personal information with anyone claiming to represent RMLD.

By staying informed and alert, you can help keep your household and community safe from scams.

Learn More >>

RMLD IN THE COMMUNITY: FALL 2025

September 7 & 14: Reading Street Faire and North Reading Town Day RMLD attended these popular local events, sharing energy tips and connecting with customers!

October 26: Killam School Trunk or Treat RMLD staff was able to warn treat seekers about energy vampires lurking at home! All while providing some tasty treats.

September 17: Wilmington Resident's Day; October 28: Connected Reading Open House RMLD loves welcoming new residents and reconnecting with long-time residents!

RMLD's Bob Weiden Featured at Northeast Public Power Association (NEPPA) Conference

On October 22, Bob Weiden, RMLD customer service, billing, and collections manager, discussed collections best practices and shared his deep industry expertise as part of the NEPPA 2025 Energy Connect Conference. As part of the panel 'Collective Wisdom: Sharing Best Practices in Collections' which featured a range of collections and legal experts, Bob was able to share learnings and best practices from RMLD to benefit our industry peers.

RMLD lineworker teams were excited to connect with customers at the Lynnfield Moms Group Touch-a-Truck on September 27 and the Wilmington Shriner's Touch-a-Truck on October 19. We hope to be at an event near you soon!

RMLD Renewable Choice Gives you the Choice for a More Sustainable Energy Suite

Make the Switch to RMLD Renewable Choice

Are you looking to reduce your carbon footprint? RMLD’s voluntary Renewable Choice program is a great option.

What is Renewable Choice?

RMLD’s Renewable Choice program gives customers the opportunity to voluntarily support additional non-carbon energy resources beyond RMLD’s existing energy mix. Customers can choose to bring their monthly energy use to 75 percent or 100 percent renewable energy for a small monthly charge.

Why Should I Consider It?

Choosing Renewable Choice helps increase the amount of renewable energy used to power our communities. Your participation creates local impact toward a more sustainable future.

Who can sign up?

All RMLD customers, including residents and businesses, are eligible to participate. A one-year commitment is required, and accounts must be in good standing.

How do I enroll?

Fill out the Renewable Choice sign-up form or contact RMLD customer service at 781-942-6598 Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

DID YOU KNOW? For each megawatt-hour of electricity produced by a qualified renewable resource, one renewable certificate is created on the New England Power Pool Generation Information System (NEPOOL GIS). The certificate market helps ensure that renewable resources remain competitive in New England by capturing their environmental value or “attributes” as their own unique product. This process helps encourage the construction of new renewable resources such as solar and wind. As a Renewable Choice participant, you are contributing to a more sustainable power supply for RMLD and the greater New England power grid.

Learn More about Renewable Choice >>

Are appliances on your list for this holiday season? RMLD rebates make upgrading to Energy Star-certified products more affordable!

RMLD offers a rebate to customers who purchase and install eligible EnergyStar-certified electric snowblowers, electric ranges, and wireless thermostats. Get details and apply >>

Peak demand days affect the cost of power in the greater New England area. The greater the demand, the higher the cost. When we reduce our collective energy use on peak days, we can lower the cost of our purchased power. RMLD passes those savings on to customers.

A simple email alert and flip of a switch can lead to savings!

Remember to ‘fall back’ and turn back your clocks on Sunday, November 2.

Daylight savings is a great time to do an energy and safety check in your home.

Check thermostat settings and use timers to reduce energy use
Use timers on outdoor decorations and lighting
Replace batteries in smoke detectors
Check that you have working fire extinguishers easily accessible in kitchen areas.
Check your flashlights and emergency kit
Unplug unused electronics to save energy

Don't let the energy vampires get you this Halloween.

Are energy draining fiends lurking in your home? Laptops, cell phone chargers, video game consoles, or any device that goes into standby mode could be an energy vampire. How do you stop them? It's easy. Unplug them! Check out more tips on Facebook to avoid energy vampires at Halloween and all year!

Bright things ahead!

December will bring our annual Toys for Tots Toy Drive and of course the popular RMLD Historical Calendars!

Follow RMLD on Facebook Today! >>

Celebrating Our Veterans

RMLD would like to thank all veterans for their service and sacrifice this coming Veterans Day. RMLD held an internal cloth goods drive, collecting new hats, gloves, blankets and socks from our employees. This Veterans Day these items will be donated to the local VA in Bedford. Consider a donation to your local VA in honor of Veterans Day!