Pennsylvania Electricity Rates and Providers 2024)

Pennsylvania Energy Rates

There are over 100 retail electricity providers (REPs) in Pennsylvania. Similar to purchasing home internet, each electricity supplier offers its own plans, and those plans can vary in price, terms, quality and environmental impact.

A deregulated energy market means that there are supply companies and distribution companies to consider. Your distribution company — the public utility — cannot be chosen. Instead, it’s based on where you live. Your utility bill will always include unavoidable charges from your distribution company, which include charges for maintaining power lines.

You also have your electricity supply company. This company gets electricity from the distribution company and delivers it to you using the distribution company’s electrical system. Your potential savings comes from the supply company you choose.

Current Pennsylvania utilities include

• Duquesne Light, Met-Ed
• Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO)
• Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL Electric Utilities)
• Penelec, Penn Power
• Pike County Light
• Power and West Penn Power
• Energy choice is currently open to all residential customers served by these utilities

Below, we’ll list all of the supply companies available to customers in Pennsylvania, along with their prices per kWh, to help you find the best and most affordable option for you. If you’re in a rush, you can use this tool or click the buttons below to find the most affordable rates instantly.

How Do Pennsylvania Electricity Prices Compare Based on Company?

In the chart below, we’ll include a list of the energy supply companies available for you to choose from as a Pennsylvania resident.

Keep in mind that, as an environmental media site, we strive to have a positive impact on the environment. Keeping in line with this goal, we’re only including companies that have a 100% renewable energy plan. There are plenty of these in the state, so you’ll still have numerous choices. You can read more about these plans in later sections.

*All energy rates are accurate as of November 2022 for residents in the 19120 zip code. Rates may have changed since the last update. For the most recent daily energy rates in your area, please enter zip code above to get connected with a local power supplier

How Do You Find the Best Electricity Rates in Pennsylvania?

A lot of time and energy goes into finding the cheapest energy rates in Pennsylvania, especially because the price per kWh depends on several factors. Two homes with similar plans can see drastically different energy bills. Below, we’ll discuss some of the things you need to consider in order to estimate your electric charges accurately.

Your Energy Usage in PA

The first thing to consider when getting an estimate for your utility bills is the amount of electricity you consume on a monthly basis. Many residential energy providers (REPs) in Pennsylvania use tiered rates — also called V-shaped plans — to charge customers.

These plans seek to balance out what all homes get charged by implementing higher rates for customers who use less energy and lower rates for those with average consumption. That means that your utility bill on a per-kWh basis could be lower than your neighbor’s if you use more electricity.

For example, in a typical tiered plan, customers who use around 500 kWh or 2,000 kWh per month will pay more than those who use around 1,000 kWh per month. According to the EIA, the average Pennsylvania home uses around 846 kWh per month.²

Your Contract Length

As you might have gleaned from the chart above, the length of the contract you sign will also make a difference in the price you pay for energy.

Most electric companies in Pennsylvania reward loyalty and will offer lower per-kWh prices to customers who enter into longer contracts. You’ll be locked into a specific rate for longer, which could be either beneficial or harmful in the long run, depending on the direction you expect electricity prices to head.

Before you sign any contract, make sure you fully understand the terms and don’t be afraid to ask questions before agreeing to service.

Some companies charge initiation fees to new customers and use cancellation fees to dissuade customers from switching to a new provider before the contract term ends. These fees can range from $0 for early termination to around $10 per month left on the contract. The latter is sometimes advertised as a $10 termination fee, so be careful!

If you’re ready to find a utility company right away, you can use this tool to let our research and expertise go to work for you.

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What Types of Electricity Plans are Offered in Pennsylvania?

Even once you narrow down your energy plan options based on pricing, you’ll still have a few choices to make. Pennsylvania energy distribution companies can provide

• Fixed-rate
• Variable-rate plans
• No-deposit plans
• Prepaid energy plans
• Green energy plans
• Commercial energy plans

We’ll explain all of these options below to help you decide which is the best for your needs.

Pennsylvania Fixed-Rate Plans

A fixed-rate energy plan is exactly what it sounds like: it gives you a single rate you pay per kWh for energy for the entire contract length. This is the type of energy plan we recommend for most homeowners because it means no surprises: you’ll always know what your energy rate will be.

Keep in mind that fixed-rate plans don’t mean your bill amount each month is fixed. The total you pay will still vary based on your energy consumption. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t point out that fixed-rate plans often turn into variable-rate plans automatically at the end of the contract term, so keep that in mind as you get close to that term.

Pros and Cons of Fixed-Rate Plans

Variable-Rate Plans in Pennsylvania

Variable-rate energy plans are another common option in Pennsylvania. These don’t lock you into a single rate, and you’ll see fluctuations in the price you pay per kWh. The cost is instead based on the market price of energy for that time period. The market price, of course, changes over time, which means your price per kWh will vary from bill to bill.

Variable-rate plans can sometimes save you money if the market price dips, but you can also end up spending more if the cost goes up. Many homeowners across America recall the incident in Texas in 2021, where an unusual snowstorm knocked out the electric grid and caused wide-scale outages. This led to incredibly high energy rate hikes for variable-rate customers due to a surge in demand.

Pennsylvanians see some extreme weather as well, which means this same series of events could play out in your area. This is one major reason why we don’t recommend variable-rate plans in Pennsylvania.

Pros and Cons of Variable-Rate Plans

No-Deposit and Prepaid Energy Plans in Pennsylvania

Many energy plans in Pennsylvania require deposits, which are one-time, upfront fees for initiating service. Deposits help energy distributors offset losses from non-paying customers. Some providers will waive deposits with no-deposit plans if you have good credit and are less likely to miss payments. You can sometimes avoid deposits by choosing prepaid plans as well.

A prepaid plan requires you to fund an account from which your energy bills will be paid. This is a great way to ensure you never spend more than you can afford on electricity. However, it also means that you can lose power if you forget to top up your account before each billing period.

Pros and Cons of Prepaid Energy Plans

Green Energy Plans in Pennsylvania

A green energy plan is one that guarantees that all of the electricity you consume in your household comes from clean energy sources, like solar and wind power. In Pennsylvania, wind energy is the most widely used clean source, followed by hydroelectric power.³ Solar accounts for just 8% of the state’s renewable energy portfolio.

Green energy plans let you do your part to improve the environment by reducing your contribution to pollution and by limiting your carbon footprint. These plans are a bit more expensive per kWh, on average, but they let you support the clean energy movement without installing any expensive equipment.

Pros and Cons of Green Energy Plans

Business Energy Plans

As the name implies, business energy plans are electric payment plans for companies. These sometimes provide lower energy rates than residential plans because of the higher energy needs.

Not all REPs provide access to these plans, but those that do often have variable-rate and fixed-rate options.

What Should You Look for When Choosing an Electricity Provider in Pennsylvania?

Since there are so many distribution companies in Pennsylvania, you’ll have your work cut out for you if you want to find the best one for your needs that suits your budget. In many cases, homeowners who have just moved to the area will have different needs than those who already live in Pennsylvania and are just looking for a new provider.

In the sections below, we’ll discuss some of the most important things you’ll want to consider when choosing a local utility company in Pennsylvania.

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Best Value for Renewable Energy

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Great Regional Provider

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Picking Energy Companies as a New Pennsylvania Resident

If you’re just moving into the Keystone State, one of the first things you’ll want to do is set up electric service. There are a handful of things to look for in your new provider.

First, you should consider looking at introductory rates or perks, which many REPs provide to new customers and new residents. These often include:

• Lower per-kWh rates for the first year or so
• Waived sign-up fees
• Additional perks, like prepaid gift cards

Next, you’ll need to decide between a fixed and variable plan. We suggest choosing a fixed-rate plan, especially as a new resident. This will help you acclimate to your new energy bills before you take any chances with a variable rate.

We recommend looking through customer reviews for the companies you’re considering as well. As a transplant to the state, you’ll be unfamiliar with the general opinion of local companies. Reading through positive and negative customer reviews will help give you a snapshot of what to expect.

Finally, it’s important to review the rate you’ll be paying and to pay attention to any expected changes over the contract term. As a new customer, you may get introductory rates, which are great, but you should understand how your rate will increase once the introductory term is over and the standard offer program kicks in.

Selecting an Energy Provider if You Are Switching Providers in Pennsylvania

If you already live in Pennsylvania and you’re instead switching energy companies to reduce your monthly bill, it’s best to prioritize a bit differently in what you look for.

We recommend starting by checking the contract terms, including the rate, how the rate will change and how long the rate lasts.

Some REPs may offer introductory rates for switching, but you probably won’t have access to new homeowner rates. As such, be careful not to compare the introductory rates that you may not be able to get.

Next, we suggest looking at where your energy is coming from, and we strongly recommend choosing a green energy plan. If a provider doesn’t specify, it’s likely coming from natural gas, as that’s the most readily available and widely used fossil fuel in Pennsylvania.

What Are 100% Green Energy Plans?

When you sign up for a 100% green energy plan, your electric provider is guaranteeing that all of the energy you consume will be offset by clean energy sources. These typically include:

• Solar power
• Wind power (the most common in Pennsylvania)
• Hydroelectric power
• Biomass

Some REPs offer mixed green energy plans, which usually specify that 25%, 50% or 75% of the energy generation will come from clean sources. 100% plans are of course best for the environment, as they reduce the need for fossil fuels like oil or natural gas to generate energy for your home.

Green energy plans can also be variable-rate or fixed-rate plans, and some REPs also provide no-deposit options for green plans. Prepaid 100% green plans are less common, but they do exist in Pennsylvania.

Who Offers Green Energy Plans?

Thanks in part to Pennsylvania’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goals, many electricity distribution companies in the state offer green energy plans.

Below is a list of all of the companies served by PECO in major cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh that offer 100% green energy plans:

• AEP Energy
• Agway Energy Services LLC
• Alpha Gas and Electric LLC
• City Power & Gas PA
• CleanChoice Energy
• CleanSky Energy
• Energy Co-Op
• Green Choice Energy (RPA Energy)
• Green Mountain Energy Company
• IDT Energy, Inc
• IGS Energy
• Inspire
• MPower Energy NJ LLC
• Residents Energy LLC
• RPA Energy (Green Choice Energy)
• Santanna Energy Services
• Shipley Energy
• SmartEnergy
• Spring Power & Gas
• Think Energy
• Tomorrow Energy
• Verde Energy USA, Inc
• WGL Energy Services

The companies below provide lower-tier green energy plans, including 25%, 50% or 75% green plans:

• American Power and Gas of Pennsylvania LLC — 25%
• NRG Home — 25%
• Spring Power & Gas — 50%

Additional energy distribution companies — like Constellation and Direct Energy — that distribute electricity for other competitive suppliers will offer green energy plans. You can use this tool to find green providers that operate under your supply company if you aren’t serviced by PECO.

Best National Company

5/5

Many years of experienceGreat industry reputationAward-winning company

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Best Value for Renewable Energy

4/5

No early termination feesMany years of experienceLow rates

Get a Quote

Great Regional Provider

4/5

Low ratesMakes charitable contributionsAll plans use clean energy

Get a Quote