West Penn Power, part of the FirstEnergy group of brands, is a utility company responsible for maintaining and managing power lines that deliver power to over 720,000 customers in central and southwest Pennsylvania. This cost represents the delivery charge and makes up the regulated section of a customer’s electric bill. A West Penn Power customer will not be able to switch utility companies for delivery services. However, thanks to energy deregulation, a customer can switch to a competing energy supplier for a lower supply rate. The supply rate makes up the deregulated section of the electric bill and is the cost of generating power the customer is estimated to use during a period.
West Penn Power Outages
If you recently changed electric suppliers and experience a power outage, then you will need to contact the local utility company. West Penn Power is responsible for fixing all power outages within its service area.
- West Penn Power Report an Outage: 1-888-544-4877
- West Penn Power Customer Contact Number: 1-800-686-0021
West Penn Power Price to Compare
Along with delivering power to its customers, West Penn Power also provides a default rate to customers that do not switch over to an alternate electric supplier. The default rate is a variable rate that can change throughout the year. This rate is also called the price to compare. Customers can use the price to compare while shopping for energy plans. If an electric supplier is offering a rate that is lower than the price to compare, then the customer will be saving money by switching.
West Penn Power Energy Deregulation
Pennsylvania joined a growing number of states in 1996 with the introduction of the Electricity Generation Choice and Competition Act. Before energy deregulation, the utility companies had a monopoly over the generation, transmission, and delivery of power to customers in their respective service areas. If a customer was unhappy with the rate charged by the utility company, there was nothing they could do. Deregulating the electricity markets unbundled the responsibilities of the utility companies and allowed competing energy suppliers to provide supply services to West Penn Power customers. Areas of Pennsylvania have seen electricity rates drop by nearly 50% since the introduction of energy choice.
West Penn Power Renewable Energy
FirstEnergy is committed to the goal of reducing its carbon emissions in the coming years. The company has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gases by 30% from 2019 levels, and go completely carbon neutral by 2050. FirstEnergy has detailed its plans to achieve these goals in its Climate Position and Strategy Statement.
Energy suppliers across Pennsylvania will also be taking steps to reduce their carbon emissions footprint and move toward generating power through renewable energy sources. Examples of renewable energy sources include wind, hydropower, and biofuels. The reason behind this push can be contributed to Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004. This act requires a set percentage of electricity sold in the state to be generated from renewable energy sources. The required percentage is set to increase in the coming years.
West Penn Power Energy Plans
If you’re new to energy choice, then selecting an energy plan might seem overwhelming. There are well over a dozen energy suppliers that provide services in West Penn Power. Energy suppliers must be licensed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PAPUC) before they can provide services in the state. A list of qualified energy suppliers can be found on PAPUC’s website.
Choosing the right energy supplier depends on your risk tolerance. Most people want to be locked into a low fixed rate for a few years and not have to worry about it. However, if you believe prices will continue to drop, then you may want to consider selecting a short-term plan. Short-term plans expose the customer to more market risk. If prices spike, then the customer may end up paying a higher rate.
More energy suppliers are offering customers 100% renewable energy plans. These plans promise to generate 100% of the power the customer is estimated to use from renewable energy sources. The energy will then be uploaded to the power grid. This is mostly done indirectly through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).