Consumers could see a 6 to 45 percent increase in electricity costs this summer, PUC warns

With electricity prices set to rise starting June 1, the state agency that oversees public utilities in Pennsylvania is urging residents to do some comparison shopping if they want to soften the blow to their wallets. 

Consumers who stick with their default provider “will see sharp increases in energy costs as summer approaches ranging between 6% and 45% depending on their electric utility,” the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission warned in a recent statement.

The regulatory agency, which does not control the prices for the generation portion of electric bills in Pennsylvania, cited higher market prices for electricity caused by shifts in supply and demand for natural gas as the reason for the consumer price increases by electric distribution companies. 

Effective June 1, electric distribution companies will increase their rates for residential electric customers to the following, the agency said.

• Citizens’ Electric, up from 7.3995 cents to 9.3667 cents per kWh (26.6%);
• Met-Ed, up from 6.832 cents to 7.936 cents per kWh (16.1%);
• Penelec, up from 6.232 cents to 8.443 cents per kWh (35.4%);
• Penn Power, up from 7.082 cents to 8.694 cents per kWh (22.7%);
• PPL, up from 8.941 cents to 12.366 cents per kWh (38.3%);
• Wellsboro Electric, up from 7.7569 cents to 9.592 cents per kWh (23.7%); and
• West Penn Power, up from 5.667 cents to 8.198 cents per kWh (44.6%).

In its statement, the commission noted that rates from several distributors, including Duquesne Light, PECO and Pike County Light & Power, are still being calculated, but also are expected to rise. PUC reports that final prices for those distributors will be available later in the month.