Compare Pennsylvania Electricity Rates
Contents
- 1 Compare Pennsylvania Electricity Rates
- 2 Why Shop for an Electric Generation Supplier?
- 3 What will Change on My Electric Bill?
- 4 An Overview of the Energy Market in Pennsylvania
- 5 Pennsylvania’s Electricity Rates Compared to the U.S. Average
- 6 Energy Suppliers Offer Different Rate Products to Choose From
- 7 Pennsylvania Utility Companies
- 8 Electric Suppliers
- 9 Utility Companies
Pennsylvania residents were among the first in the country to be able to choose electricity rates from competing energy suppliers. In 1996, the Electricity Generation Choice and Competition Act restructured the market allowing electric generation suppliers (EGS) to enter the market space. Utility companies became the supplier of last resort and offered a price-to-compare for Pennsylvania residential and commercial customers to use while comparing electricity rates. The main job of the utility companies is now to maintain the lines and wires to safely deliver the electricity to homes and businesses.
Why Shop for an Electric Generation Supplier?
Electric generation suppliers in Pennsylvania have to earn your business. Whether you’re shopping for residential or commercial electricity rates, the option to choose between different generation suppliers allows the customer an opportunity to lock in a lower generation rate than what is being offered by the utility price-to-compare rate. Since the cap rates expired in Pennsylvania, generation rates have dropped in some service areas by nearly 50 percent!
What will Change on My Electric Bill?
A Pennsylvania customer switching to a competitive energy supplier will still receive one electric bill from the utility company. Both the delivery charge and supply charge will be incorporated on the same bill. The only thing that will change is the lower generation rate on the electric bill!
Headquartered in Philadelphia, PECO is a subsidiary of Exelon and is Pennsylvania’s largest natural gas and electric supplier delivering energy to more than 2.1 million customers. This includes 1.6 million electric customers and 511,000 natural gas customers. The annual economic contribution PECO brings into Pennsylvania is estimated to be 4.5 billion dollars.
- PECO’s customer service can be reached at 1-800-494-4000
Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) is a local distribution company based in Pennsylvania. With nearly 50,000 miles of power lines, PPL serves 29 counties and about 1.4 million customers. PPL acts as the supplier of last resort to its customers, efficiently generating, transmitting, and delivering electricity to its customers. PPL’s Price to Compare typically changes every 6 months. Customers looking to shop around for a competitive supplier will still have their electricity delivered by PPL.
- Pennsylvania Power and Light’s customer service can be reached at 1-800-342-5775
Duquesne Light Co. is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Formally known as Allegheny County Light, the company can trace its beginnings back to 1880. DLC is a local distribution company employing just over 1,500 people.
- Duquesne Light’s customer service can be reached at 412-393-7100
Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed) is a local distribution company in Pennsylvania and part of the First Energy family. Met-Ed offers a Price to Compare rate for electricity that changes every 3 to 6 months. Customers can use this Price to Compare when comparing rates to 3rd party generation suppliers. Providing service to southeast Pennsylvania, Met-Ed serves power to more than 560,000 customers.
- Met-Ed’s customer service can be reached at 1-888-544-4877
West Penn Power is part of the First Energy family that serves over 720,000 customers in Pennsylvania. Acting as a local distribution company, West Penn Power maintains the lines and wires to efficiently deliver energy to their customers.
- West Penn Power’s customer service can be reached at 1-800-686-0021
Penn Power serves more than 160,000 customers in Pennsylvania and is part of the First Energy company. Customers that choose a 3rd party generation supplier will still have their energy delivered to their place of residence by Penn Power.
- Penn Power’s customer service can be reached at 1-888-720-3600
Pennsylvania Electric Company (PenElec) is a local distribution company in Pennsylvania that serves over 600,000 customers. PenElec is part of the First Energy family.
- PenElec’s customer service can be reached at 1-800-545-7741
An Overview of the Energy Market in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas, just behind Texas. In 2018, total production in natural gas reached 6.2 trillion cubic feet. Pennsylvania is also a large producer of coal, ranking third in the nation in 2017. However, electricity generation from coal is going down as natural gas is booming, thanks to a large role in fracking. Just like many states, nuclear power is also a big contributor to electricity generation, covering just over 35 percent.
Pennsylvania’s Electricity Rates Compared to the U.S. Average
| Electricity | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Time Period |
|---|---|---|---|
Residential | 13.08 cents/kWh | 13.34 cents/kWh | February 2021 |
Commercial | 8.54 cents/kWh | 11.93 cents/kWh | February 2021 |
Industrial | 6.43 cents/kWh | 8.15 cents/kWh | February 2021 |
Energy Suppliers Offer Different Rate Products to Choose From
The most common rate product plans are fixed rates. These rates do not change for the duration of the term. If the energy market goes up, the fixed-rate plan will protect the customer. However, if the energy market goes down, the customer is stuck paying a higher rate. It’s no surprise these plans are the most popular, as customers can lock in a long-term rate and not have to worry about the electric bill spiking on them! Depending on the customer’s risk tolerance, energy suppliers offer a variety of plans to choose from.
| Electric Rate Products | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
Fixed Rate |
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Variable Rate |
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Index Rate |
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Renewable Energy Rates |
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