In an effort to cut residents' energy costs, the village of Barrington will put an electrical aggregation question on the March 2012 ballot.

The referendum will ask residents to allow the village to negotiate for electricity supply for its residents and commercial customers. The village would also allow electricity customers to opt out of the program.

Village President Karen Darch said, at Monday’s meeting, the deadline for putting referendums on the ballot is Jan. 3 and the board will not meet again before then.

Gov. Quinn signed legislation in August of 2009 allowing village boards to transfer their residents' electric accounts to alternative suppliers. Many villages in the Chicago metropolitan area are pursuing electrical aggregation.

ComEd will remain the distributor of electrical power regardless of the power supplier the village chooses. Customers will still receive their power bills from ComEd.