The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is alerting consumers about, "the potential for large winter energy cost increases for electric customers who do not shop for competitive electric suppliers."

The PUC cited increases in residential default service rates, which had been first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com in October, of up to 24%.

"To avoid the possibility of 'sticker shock' from high bills during the coming cold months, the PUC reminds consumers that the start of winter is an important time to compare prices for electric generation and evaluate competitive supplier options," the PUC said

Most Pennsylvania regulated electric utilities adjusted the price they charge for the generation portion of customers’ bills on December 1 for non-shopping (default service) customers, also known as the Price to Compare (PTC). The PTC averages 40 to 60 percent of the customer’s total utility bill. However, this percent varies by utility and by the level of individual customer usage. These recent changes in price range from a reduction of 6.3% to an increase of 24%.

The PUC said that, as of December 1, electric distribution companies reported the following changes in their PTCs for residential customers:

• Penelec, up from 5.198 cents to 6.445 cents per kWh (24%);

• Penn Power, up from 6.231 cents to 7.572 cents per kWh (21.5%);

• Met-Ed, up from 5.667 cents to 6.51 cents per kWh (14.9%);

• Citizens’ Electric, up from 6.5016 cents to 7.0986 cents per kWh (8%);

• West Penn Power, up from 5.338 cents to 5.76 cents per kWh (7.9%); and

• PPL, up from 7.585 cents to 7.632 cents per kWh (less than 1%).

The PUC noted that several other electric utilities, including UGI, Duquesne Light, PECO and Wellsboro Electric, have reduced their PTCs by 6.3%, 4.2%,1.4% and 1% respectively, though the PUC still encourages customers to explore their options in those service areas.

The PUC noted that, "As another alternative for default service customers not participating in the competitive electricity market, Pennsylvania’s regulated utilities offer a voluntary Standard Offer Program (Standard Offer) - providing those customers with the option of receiving service from a competitive supplier at a fixed-price that is 7% below the utility’s current PTC. The Standard Offer price is fixed for one year and can be canceled by the customer at any time with no early cancellation or termination fees."

Tags:
Pennsylvania   Electricity shopping   Default service   Price to Compare  

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