PA electric rates: price to compare
Pennsylvania splits every bill into supply (generation and transmission) and delivery (distribution). Customers who do not shop get default service from their utility; the "price to compare" (PTC) is the price per kWh the utility charges for that supply, and a supplier offer saves money only if its price is below it for your usage.[pa_ptc] The utility keeps delivering the power, reading the meter and restoring outages whichever supplier you choose.
- Find your price to compare on your bill or on the state's official PAPowerSwitch site, which lists it for each utility and rate class.[pa_ptc]
- Know when it changes. Default service prices are reset periodically, so a supplier price that beats it today may not after the next reset; check the effective dates printed with it.
- Standard Offer Program. In the PECO, Met-Ed, Penn Power and West Penn Power areas, participating suppliers offer 7% below the price to compare in effect when you enroll.[pa_sop]
- Read the contract: fixed or variable, term length, cancellation fee and what happens at renewal.
Lowest electric rates in PA: what shoppers actually paid
In 2024, 1,284,939 Pennsylvania homes (23.2% of residential customers) bought supply from a competitive supplier. EIA's utility survey lets us estimate what each group paid all-in:[eia861]
- Default service customers: 17.32¢ per kWh, supply and delivery together.
- Supplier customers: 11.86¢ for supply plus about 7.51¢ for utility delivery, roughly 19.37¢ in total.
So in 2024 shoppers paid about 2.05¢ more per kWh on average than default service customers. That is an average across hundreds of contracts, some well below and some well above the price to compare; the lowest electric rates in PA come from checking each offer against your own utility's current price to compare.
| Provider type | Customers | ¢/kWh | kWh/mo | Bill/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility full service (default supply) | 3,970,258 | 17.32¢ | 795 | $137.72 |
| Utility delivery for shopping customers | 1,284,939 | 7.51¢ | 873 | $65.57 |
| Competitive suppliers, supply only (all combined) | 1,277,675 | 11.86¢ | 857 | $101.66 |
| Electric cooperatives | 169,269 | 15.64¢ | 891 | $139.41 |
| Rooftop solar third-party owners | 22,891 | 16.49¢ | 766 | $126.33 |
| Municipal utilities | 9,914 | 11.95¢ | 820 | $97.95 |
PECO, PPL, Duquesne and FirstEnergy rates
Average residential prices for default service customers in 2024 were 16.16¢ at PECO, 16.99¢ at PPL, 17.37¢ at FirstEnergy Pennsylvania and 21.74¢ at Duquesne Light, all-in.[eia861] These are yearly averages from EIA, not current tariffs; your utility's current price to compare and distribution charges are on its rate pages and on PAPowerSwitch.
| Utility | Service | Customers | ¢/kWh | kWh/mo | Bill/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co | Full service | 1,464,054 | 17.37¢ | 857 | $148.88 |
| PECO Energy Co | Full service | 1,205,013 | 16.16¢ | 750 | $121.18 |
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Full service | 797,773 | 16.99¢ | 849 | $144.25 |
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Delivery only | 498,110 | 6.14¢ | 1,020 | $62.69 |
| Duquesne Light Co | Full service | 434,171 | 21.74¢ | 605 | $131.53 |
| FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co | Delivery only | 338,558 | 7.16¢ | 860 | $61.61 |
| PECO Energy Co | Delivery only | 330,805 | 9.58¢ | 751 | $71.99 |
| Duquesne Light Co | Delivery only | 116,234 | 11.29¢ | 629 | $71.04 |
Pennsylvania electricity price by month
The Pennsylvania average rose from 18.58¢ in Sep 2024–Aug 2025 to 20.86¢ in Sep 2025–Aug 2026. Summer months bring the highest bills: $198.28 in August 2026.[eia861m]
Pennsylvania U.S. average
| Month | ¢/kWh | Year earlier | Change | kWh/home | Avg bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 21.77¢ | 19.93¢ | +9.2% | 911 | $198.28 |
| July 2026 | 21.71¢ | 19.52¢ | +11.2% | 1,020 | $221.40 |
| June 2026 | 21.73¢ | 19.69¢ | +10.4% | 785 | $170.51 |
| May 2026 | 21.55¢ | 19.30¢ | +11.7% | 624 | $134.37 |
| April 2026 | 21.47¢ | 18.97¢ | +13.2% | 635 | $136.34 |
| March 2026 | 20.92¢ | 18.42¢ | +13.6% | 805 | $168.41 |
| February 2026 | 20.30¢ | 17.99¢ | +12.8% | 1,030 | $208.98 |
| January 2026 | 20.19¢ | 17.56¢ | +15.0% | 1,129 | $227.97 |
| December 2025 | 20.07¢ | 17.56¢ | +14.3% | 1,035 | $207.79 |
| November 2025 | 20.15¢ | 18.04¢ | +11.7% | 719 | $144.92 |
| October 2025 | 20.48¢ | 18.43¢ | +11.1% | 648 | $132.64 |
| September 2025 | 20.43¢ | 17.78¢ | +14.9% | 699 | $142.75 |
Pennsylvania ranks 15 of 51 for residential price (1 = most expensive). Neighbors with retail choice are on electric rates Ohio and NJ electric rates; all states are on electricity rates by state. To size a bill from a supplier's offer, use the electricity cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electric rate in PA?
20.86¢ per kWh for homes over Sep 2025–Aug 2026, and 21.77¢ in August 2026 (EIA).
What is the price to compare in PA?
Your utility's default supply price per kWh. A supplier offer saves money only if its supply price is lower for your usage.
Do supplier customers pay less in Pennsylvania?
On average in 2024 they paid about 19.37¢ all-in vs 17.32¢ on default service (EIA-861), but individual contracts vary widely.
What is the average electric bill in Pennsylvania?
$174.48 a month over Sep 2025–Aug 2026, for 836 kWh.
Sources
- Understanding your bill: the price to compare (PTC) is the price per kWh your electric distribution company charges
- Standard Offer Program: supplier offers 7% below the price to compare at enrollment (PECO, Met-Ed, Penn Power, West Penn Power areas)
- Monthly Electric Utility Sales and Revenue Data (Form EIA-861M), by state and sector, data through August 2026 (sales_revenue.xlsx)
- Annual Electric Power Industry Report (Form EIA-861), 2024 data: Sales to Ultimate Customers by utility, state and service type