Enter your zip code to instantly compare electricity providers in Pennsylvania and switch online in minutes.
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By Thad Warren
Did you know that in Pennsylvania, you're not stuck with just one electric company? Thanks to PA's Electric Choice program, Pennsylvania’s electricity market has been deregulated for over 25 years. This gives residents and businesses the freedom to choose their own energy plans based on budget and consumption rates.
With deregulation, the power to choose your electricity supplier is in your hands. While your local utility company will still deliver electricity and maintain the power lines for your home and business, you can shop around for the best electric rates and plans from different suppliers. Finding the right supplier can have a major impact on your electricity bill, potential saving you hundreds of dollars every month.
Enter your zip code to instantly compare Pennsylvania electricity rates and energy plans.
The PA Electric Choice program launched in 1996 and introduced competition into the energy market, breaking up the old monopoly system of electric suppliers. Here’s how it works:
In Pennsylvania, your local utility company is still responsible for delivering electricity to your home or business and maintaining the power lines. However, you can shop around for the actual electricity supply from various energy suppliers based on your budget and energy consumption. These suppliers compete for your business, offering different rates, contract terms, and even options like green energy.
Switching suppliers is easy. Once you’ve compared your options and selected a new supplier, they’ll handle the switch for you. There’s no interruption in your service, no need for new equipment, and no fees for switching. Your local utility will still send you a single bill each month, but you could see lower rates or other benefits depending on your new supplier’s offerings.
Choosing a supplier can lead to significant savings on your electric bill, especially if you find a plan that better suits your usage habits. Plus, you can opt for renewable energy plans, which is a win for the environment. Our average customer saves 20% on their energy costs compared to PA electric rates.
Comparing electricity rates in Pennsylvania might seem complicated, but it’s easier than you think. Here's a simple step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process:
With just a few clicks, you can confidently compare Pennsylvania electricity rates and choose the plan that best meets your needs, potentially saving you a significant amount on your energy bill.
For businesses of all sizes – from small businesses to enterprise-level, the deregulated market has enabled competition. Today, every business has the ability to compare energy plans from top energy suppliers and shop for the best rate available.
In most cases, businesses will be able to effectively manage and/or reduce their monthly electricity costs by switching energy plans and electricity suppliers every year for competitive rates.
In 2021, the average electric bill in Pennsylvania included a rate of 8.96 cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh) for commercial customers — a rate 22% lower than the national average — and the national average of 13.89 ¢/kWh for residential customers.
With EnergyBot, you can see the average Pennsylvania electric rates per kWh and compare them to find the best deals. We update our listings daily, so you can always be sure you’re seeing the most current electric prices in Pennsylvania when you shop to save.
In 1994, the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission investigated the state's energy market and published their findings in a report called "The Report and Recommendation on Electric Competiton." With this report, the Commission persuaded the state assembly to deregulate the state's energy market, creating a free market with greater competition.
The Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act of 1996 set this plan in motion, beginning deregulation and splitting up existing energy monopolies. This bill included a schedule for a slow transition into deregulation, which gave one-third of the state's electrical consumers energy choice in 1999, with the rest following in 2000 and 2001.
Energy deregulation separated public utilities from energy providers. In this new market, customers have the power to choose their energy provider based on rates and energy usage patterns. Energy providers compete to attract consumers by offering the lowest rates and the most customer-centric services.
Pennsylvania's market deregulation rolled out slowly over almost 15 years but has been one of the most successful deregulations in the country.
While energy deregulation has the potential to bring immense benefit to residents and business owners across Pennsylvania, many don’t understand or even know about it. At EnergyBot, we’re dedicated to helping consumers understand the power of energy choice and using it to save money on your monthly electric bills.
One crucial step in understanding energy deregulation is knowing the difference between public utilities and energy providers. In a deregulated energy market, each entity has different responsibilities.
Public utility companies are responsible for maintaining and operating power infrastructures like wires and towers, and these organizations deliver your energy to your home or business through your power lines each month. Pennsylvania’s local utilities include Penn Power, Penelec, Duquesne Light Company, PPL Electric Utilities, West Penn Power and Met-Ed.
Energy providers, on the other hand, purchase electricity wholesale from generators and resell the energy to consumers like you. They are competitive companies that offer different rates and services to attract customers. While you’re usually assigned a utility company based on your location, you can select whichever energy provider you’d like. Top energy providers in Pennsylvania include Direct Energy, Entrust and Public Power.
Renewable energy sources provided about 4% of Pennsylvania's total energy generation in 2020. This energy was mainly generated by wind, hydropower and biomass production. Wind energy was the state's largest source of renewable energy, generating about two-fifths of the renewable energy produced that year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
As of mid-2021, Pennsylvania had 26 operating wind farms across the state with almost 1,500 megawatts of generating capacity. These farms are typically found along the state's Appalachian Mountain crests or along the shores of Lake Erie. Pennsylvania also has extensive opportunities for hydroelectric generation with more than 83,000 miles of rivers, streams and non-powered dams.
Pennsylvania ranks among the top 12 states in the amount of energy generated by biomass resources, fueled by municipal solid waste and landfill gas. Biomass energy production accounted for one-fifth of the state's energy production from renewable resources in 2020.
If sustainability and clean energy production are essential aspects of your energy plan, EnergyBot can help you find options that meet your needs. Our comparison tool will compile a list of options with information about how much of the energy sold by each provider is generated using renewable resources, including plans ranging from partial to entirely green energy sources.
