Pennsylvania · Electric
Price to Compare on a PA electric bill (PECO, PPL and more)
Written by Judy
· 7 min read
If you live in Pennsylvania, your electric bill may show a number called the Price to Compare. It is the most useful number on the bill when someone offers you a new electric price. Here is what it means, in plain words.
What is the Price to Compare?
In most of Pennsylvania, you can buy your electricity from a company other than your utility. Your utility is the company that owns the wires, such as PECO, PPL Electric or Duquesne Light. The other companies are called suppliers.
If you have never picked a supplier, your utility sells you the electricity itself. This is called default service. The price you pay for it is the Price to Compare.
The state's shopping website, PA Power Switch, puts it simply: the Price to Compare is "the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) your electric distribution company will charge." A kilowatt-hour, or kWh, is one unit of electricity. Your bill shows how many you used each month.
So the Price to Compare is the price to beat. If a supplier offers you a lower price per kWh, you would pay less for that part of your bill. If the offer is higher, you would pay more.
What does it cover, and what doesn't it?
Your electric bill has two main parts:
- Supply (also called generation). This is the electricity itself. The Price to Compare is the price for this part. A supplier can take it over.
- Delivery (also called distribution). This pays for the local wires, poles and equipment that bring power to your home. It always stays with your utility. These charges are overseen by the state's utility board, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC).
That is why switching can only change part of your bill. The delivery part stays the same no matter who sells you the electricity.
A few more things worth knowing:
- The Price to Compare includes a state tax called the Gross Receipts Tax, so a supplier's price includes it too. PA Power Switch (opens a new tab) explains this in its questions and answers.
- When you use a supplier, the cost of moving power over the big high-voltage lines (called transmission) is rolled into the supplier's price. PA Power Switch's bill guide (opens a new tab) explains each charge.
- The PA PUC says the supply part can be about half of a total electric bill, or more.
For a closer look at each line on a bill, see my guide to supply and delivery charges.
When does the Price to Compare change?
Pennsylvania utilities usually change their Price to Compare twice a year: on June 1 and December 1. The PA PUC sends out a notice before each change. You can read the one for June 1, 2026 (opens a new tab) and the one for December 1, 2025 (opens a new tab).
Once in a while, a utility changes its price at another time of year too. So it is smart to check the price on your newest bill, not an old one.
The price can go up or down. Nobody can promise which way it will go next time.
Does the change affect me if I already have a supplier?
No. The PA PUC says these changes "only affect customers receiving 'default service'" from their utility. If you already have a supplier, you keep paying the price in your contract.
But keep an eye on it anyway. When your contract ends, you will be comparing your supplier's new price with the utility's Price to Compare at that time. My guide to what to do when your contract is ending walks through it.
Where do I find it on my bill?
Every utility lays out its bill a little differently. Here is what I know:
- PPL Electric: PPL's sample bill has a box on the first page that says "PPL Electric Utilities Price to Compare" and "Use this price when comparing supplier offers." The same box says "The price to compare is updated June 1st and December 1st."
- Other utilities (PECO, Duquesne Light, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, UGI and others): look for the words Price to Compare on your bill. If you can't find them, call the customer service number on your bill and ask, "What is my Price to Compare?"
You can also look it up without a bill. Go to PA Power Switch (opens a new tab), type in your ZIP code, and it shows your utility's current Price to Compare next to the offers. Our own utility pages show it too (links are at the end).
How do I compare an offer with it?
Take it one step at a time:
- Find your Price to Compare. Use your newest bill, PA Power Switch or our utility page.
- Ask the supplier for its price per kWh. PA Power Switch says a supplier will give you a price you can compare "apples-to-apples" when you ask. Be sure to ask how long that price lasts.
- Ask if the price is fixed or variable. A fixed price stays the same for the whole contract. A variable price can change, sometimes every month.
- Ask about fees. Some offers charge a monthly fee. Some charge a fee to cancel early. The PA PUC tells shoppers to look for "early termination fees or monthly charges."
- Compare the numbers. If the supplier's price is lower than your Price to Compare, and there are no fees that eat up the savings, you would likely save.
Keep one more thing in mind. The Price to Compare can change on June 1 and December 1, but a fixed price does not. A fixed price that beats today's Price to Compare might not beat the next one. It might also beat it by even more. That is why the length of the contract matters.
A small savings per kWh can add up. But a monthly fee of a few dollars can wipe it out. Always do the math with the fees included.
Is there a simple way to beat the Price to Compare?
Some utilities offer the Standard Offer Program. It is a fixed price 7% below the Price to Compare on the day you sign up, for 12 months, with no fee to leave. It is not offered everywhere. I explain how it works in my guide to the PA Standard Offer Program.
Can I go back to my utility?
Yes. PA Power Switch says your utility "always remains your electric distribution company." To go back to the Price to Compare, call your utility and ask to return to default service.
Check your contract first. Some contracts have a fee to cancel early. PA Power Switch says those fees are waived in the last 30 days of a contract.
For more on switching safely in Pennsylvania, including your right to change your mind after you sign, see Is it safe to switch my electric supplier? If you live in Ohio, the rules are different. See the Ohio Price to Compare.
Who to call
- PA PUC: 1-800-692-7380
- Office of Consumer Advocate: 1-800-684-6560
What to do next
- Let me do the math. Try the free check. Send me a photo of your bill, and I'll compare your price, fees included, with every offer the state lists for your area.
- See the current Price to Compare for your utility: PECO, PPL Electric, Duquesne Light, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, UGI Electric, Citizens' Electric, Wellsboro Electric and Pike County Light & Power.
- Start from the Pennsylvania page: all Pennsylvania utilities.