Penelec, a FirstEnergy Company, is a utility company that serves nearly 600,000 customers in the state of Pennsylvania. The utility’s service area covers the central and northern parts of the state. Thanks to Pennsylvania deregulating the electricity markets, the main responsibility of Penelec is to maintain and manage the power lines that deliver electricity to customers within its service area. The delivery charge represents the regulated section of the electric bill and is overseen by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PAPUC). A customer will not be able to switch to another utility company for delivery services.
Penelec Power Outages
If you recently changed energy suppliers and experience a power outage, then you will need to contact Penelec. The utility company is responsible for fixing all power outages within its service area.
- Penelec Power Outage Number: 1-888-544-4877
- Penelec Customer Service Number: 1-800-545-7741
Penelec Price to Compare
Along with delivering power to its customers, Penelec is responsible for providing a default rate for supply services to customers that choose not to select an alternate electric supplier. The default rate is commonly referred to as the price to compare. This rate is not considered a long-term fixed-rate and will change throughout the year. Penelec customers that shop for a competing energy supplier can use the price to compare to determine their savings. If an energy supplier is offering a supply rate that is lower than the price to compare, then the customer will be saving money by switching.
Pennsylvania Energy Deregulation
Pennsylvania is among the growing number of states that have deregulated the electricity markets, allowing energy suppliers to enter the market and provide competing supply rates to Pennsylvanians. The increase in the number of energy suppliers has helped put downward pressure on electricity rates. Before energy deregulation, the utility companies had a monopoly over the generation, transmission, and delivery of power to customers within their service area. If a customer was unsatisfied with the rates charged by the utility companies, there was nothing they could do. Thanks to energy choice, electricity rates in some areas of Pennsylvania have dropped by over 50%.
Understanding the Electric Bill
The two main sections of the electric bill include the delivery and supply charges. Most deregulated electricity markets operate under single billing. This means when a customer changes electric supplier, they will still receive one electric bill from the utility company that incorporates both the delivery and supply charges.
- Delivery Charge – The delivery charge represents the regulated section of the electric bill. This is the cost of delivering power from the local utility company to the customer. A customer cannot change to another utility company for the delivery services.
- Supply Charge – The supply charge represents the deregulated section of the electric bill. This is the cost of generating the power the customer is estimated to use for a period. Deregulated electricity markets allow the customer to change energy suppliers for a cheaper supply rate.
Penelec Energy Choice
If you’re fortunate to be living in a deregulated electricity market, then take advantage and start shopping for a lower supply rate today! It’s common for a customer to save an average of 10-25% when switching energy suppliers. Since utility companies don’t have a financial incentive to keep you as customers, the default rate provided by the utilities tends not to be very competitive. When you change electric suppliers, the quality of service will remain the same and there will not be any power disruptions during the switch.
Choosing an Electric Supplier
Electric suppliers must be licensed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PAPUC) before they can provide supply services in the state. A list of licensed energy suppliers can be found on PAPUC’s website.
The list of qualified energy suppliers in Pennsylvania might seem overwhelming. Selecting the right energy supplier depends on the customer’s risk tolerance along with a few other preferences. Some energy suppliers specialize in providing 100% renewable energy plans at competitive prices, while others seek to provide long-term price security or monthly variable rates. A few energy suppliers that are known for competitive pricing and outstanding customer service include Starion Energy, Direct Energy, and Constellation.
ElectricRateSelect provides a platform to make it easier for Penelec customers to choose the right energy supplier. Compare energy plans in your service area and receive an apples-to-apples comparison today.