Pennsylvania · Electric
PA Standard Offer Program: 7% off for 12 months, explained
Written by Judy
· 6 min read
Maybe you called your electric company about a high bill, and they asked if you wanted to hear about the "Standard Offer." Or maybe a friend mentioned it. Here is what it is, in plain words, and when it makes sense.
What is the Standard Offer Program?
The Standard Offer Program is a plan set up by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC), the state's utility board. It started in August 2013.
It gives you a simple, low-risk way to try buying your electricity from a supplier. A supplier is a company other than your utility that sells the electricity itself. Your utility (such as PECO or Met-Ed) still brings the power to your home, fixes outages and sends your bill.
The program is voluntary. You only join if you want to.
What do I get?
The deal is the same for everyone in the same group of customers at the same utility. According to PA Power Switch (opens a new tab), the state's shopping website, you get:
- A price 7% below your utility's Price to Compare on the day you sign up. The Price to Compare is the price your utility charges for the electricity itself if you never picked a supplier. (See what the Price to Compare means.)
- A fixed price. It does not change for the whole term.
- A 12-month term.
- No fee to leave. You can cancel at any time, even before the year is up.
Can you show me an example?
The PA PUC gives this example in its Standard Offer fact sheet (opens a new tab). Say your utility's Price to Compare is 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Then the Standard Offer would be 9.3 cents per kWh. That is 7% less, and it stays at 9.3 cents for the whole year.
A kilowatt-hour, or kWh, is one unit of electricity. Your bill shows how many you use. The 10 cents is only an example, not today's price. You can see the current Price to Compare on our Pennsylvania page.
The 7% comes off the electricity part of your bill only. The delivery part (the wires and poles) stays the same. So your whole bill goes down by less than 7%.
Who can sign up?
PA Power Switch says the program is for homes and small businesses. It is meant for people who have never picked a supplier. People who already have a supplier can ask about it too.
Is it available where I live?
Not everywhere, and not all the time. The PA PUC says, "Depending upon market conditions, Standard Offer may not always be available in all areas." A utility can only offer it when suppliers are taking part in its area.
When I checked PA Power Switch on September 30, 2026, it said the Standard Offer was available in these areas:
- PECO
- Met-Ed
- Penn Power
- West Penn Power
That list can change. If your utility is not on it, you can still call and ask.
How do I sign up?
PA Power Switch lists three steps:
- Contact your utility. Call and ask to join the Standard Offer Program, or visit your utility's website. Utilities must also offer it to certain people who call, such as people calling about a high bill.
- Get a supplier. If you say yes, the utility signs you up with a supplier picked at random from the ones taking part. You don't choose the supplier.
- Read your terms. Your new supplier mails you a written summary of your terms, called a disclosure statement. Keep it.
In Pennsylvania, you have 3 business days after you get the disclosure statement to change your mind at no cost. I cover that and other switching rules in Is it safe to switch my electric supplier?
What happens after 12 months?
This is the part to watch. Before the year ends, your supplier must send you renewal notices. The state says you then have three choices:
- Stay with the same supplier. The state says this will "most likely" be at a different price.
- Switch to another supplier.
- Go back to your utility's standard price (called default service).
If you do nothing, you stay with the same supplier month to month. There is no fee to leave at that point. But the price will most likely change, and a month-to-month price can go up.
Mark your calendar for about 11 months after you join. When the renewal notice comes, open it right away and compare the new price with your utility's Price to Compare.
My guide to what to do when your contract is ending explains the notices and what to look for.
Can the Standard Offer end up costing more?
It can, for part of the year. Here is why.
Your Standard Offer price is 7% below the Price to Compare on the day you sign up. After that, your price is fixed. But the utility's Price to Compare keeps moving. Most Pennsylvania utilities change it on June 1 and December 1.
- If the Price to Compare goes up, your savings grow.
- If it goes down by more than 7%, your fixed price could end up higher than the utility's price for a while.
The good news: there is no fee to leave. If the Price to Compare drops below your Standard Offer price, you can cancel and go back to your utility. Just call your utility and ask to return to default service.
So it helps to check your price each June and December. Or let me do it for you.
Is it a good deal?
For many people, it is a simple, low-risk choice. You get a known discount, a fixed price, and no fee to leave. That is more than many offers give you.
But it is not always the best deal. Some suppliers may offer a lower fixed price, and some areas don't have the Standard Offer at all. Before you say yes, it is worth comparing:
- the Standard Offer price,
- your utility's Price to Compare, and
- the other offers listed for your area on PA Power Switch (opens a new tab).
Look at any monthly fee and any fee to cancel on the other offers. The Standard Offer has neither.
Who to call
- PA PUC: 1-800-692-7380
- Office of Consumer Advocate: 1-800-684-6560
What to do next
- Compare it for free. Try the free check. Send me a photo of your bill, and I'll compare your price with every offer the state lists for your area, fees included.
- See the current Price to Compare for PECO, Met-Ed, Penn Power, West Penn Power or PPL Electric, or start from the Pennsylvania page.
- Learn more: the Pennsylvania Price to Compare and what to do when your contract is ending.