Pennsylvania Electricity Shopping Guide

Top Electricity Deals in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania residents and businesses can access competitive electricity pricing through the state’s deregulated energy market. Currently, homeowners can find rates starting as low as 9.00¢ per kWh with select providers in certain utility territories like PPL.

Current Rate Overview:

• Residential rates: Starting at 9.00¢/kWh (lowest available) with an average of 12.54¢/kWh.
• Business rates: Starting at 10.36¢/kWh (lowest available) with an average of 13.69¢/kWh.
TrueVolt Energy specializes in cutting through promotional gimmicks to identify genuinely cost-effective electricity plans. Our platform connects directly with utility systems to provide precise billing projections for your specific property.

Pennsylvania’s Electricity Choice Program

Pennsylvania has operated under electricity deregulation for more than two decades, giving consumers unprecedented control over their energy costs. Unlike many states where residents must accept their utility’s default rates, Pennsylvania’s competitive marketplace allows you to select from dozens of electricity suppliers.
Your local utility company continues handling electricity delivery and infrastructure maintenance, while you gain the freedom to choose who supplies your actual electricity. This separation has created substantial savings opportunities—many customers reduce their monthly bills by 20% or more through strategic supplier selection.

Getting Started with Supplier Shopping

Step 1: Analyze Your Current Usage Review recent utility bills to understand your monthly kilowatt-hour consumption and current per-unit costs. This baseline helps evaluate potential savings from alternative suppliers.
Step 2: Compare Rate Structures Pennsylvania suppliers offer two primary pricing models:
Fixed-Rate Plans: Lock in consistent per-kWh pricing throughout your contract term, providing budget predictability regardless of market fluctuations.
Variable-Rate Plans: Rates adjust based on market conditions, potentially offering lower costs during favorable periods but carrying risk of price increases.
Step 3: Evaluate Contract Terms Supplier agreements typically range from 6 to 36 months. Shorter contracts provide flexibility for rate shopping, while longer agreements can secure favorable rates against market volatility.
Step 4: Calculate Total Costs Look beyond headline rates to understand all fees, including monthly service charges, early termination penalties, and rate adjustment mechanisms.

Business Electricity Solutions

Pennsylvania’s deregulated market particularly benefits commercial and industrial customers. Businesses often achieve the most significant savings by regularly reviewing supplier options and negotiating competitive contracts. Commercial electricity rates in Pennsylvania averaged 8.96¢/kWh in recent years—substantially below national averages. This competitive environment, combined with strategic supplier selection, enables businesses to effectively manage energy expenses as a controllable operational cost.

Understanding Pennsylvania’s Deregulation History

Pennsylvania pioneered electricity deregulation through legislation passed in 1996, following comprehensive market analysis by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. The “Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act” systematically dismantled utility monopolies over a multi-year transition period.
This gradual implementation began in 1999, reaching full statewide coverage by 2001. Pennsylvania’s measured approach to deregulation has created one of the nation’s most stable and competitive electricity markets.

Utility vs. Supplier Roles

Pennsylvania’s deregulated structure separates electricity delivery from electricity supply:
Utility Companies (Delivery)
• Maintain power lines, transformers, and grid infrastructure.
• Handle service connections and power restoration.
• Process billing and customer service for delivery charges.
• Major utilities include PPL, PECO, Duquesne Light, Penn Power, West Penn Power, and Met-Ed.
Energy Suppliers (Supply)
• Purchase wholesale electricity from generators.
• Set competitive retail rates and contract terms.
• Provide customer service for supply-related issues.
• Compete for customers through pricing and service offerings.
Your monthly bill combines delivery charges (set by your utility) with supply charges (set by your chosen supplier).

Sustainable Energy Options

Pennsylvania has expanded renewable energy capacity significantly, with wind power leading the state’s clean energy portfolio. The state hosts over 25 wind farms generating nearly 1,500 megawatts of capacity, primarily along mountain ridges and Lake Erie shorelines.
Hydroelectric potential remains largely untapped despite Pennsylvania’s 83,000+ miles of waterways. The state also ranks nationally in biomass energy production, utilizing municipal waste and landfill gas for electricity generation.
Many Pennsylvania suppliers now offer renewable energy plans, ranging from partial green content to 100% renewable sources. TrueVolt Energy’s comparison platform highlights each supplier’s renewable energy offerings, helping environmentally conscious consumers align their electricity choices with sustainability goals.

Making the Switch

Changing electricity suppliers involves no service interruption, equipment installation, or switching fees. Once you select a new supplier, they coordinate the transition with your utility company. You will continue receiving a single monthly bill, but with potentially lower supply charges reflecting your new supplier’s rates. The switching process typically completes within 1-2 billing cycles, and you can change suppliers again when your contract expires without penalty (assuming no early termination clause applies).
TrueVolt Energy streamlines this process by handling supplier enrollment and transition coordination, ensuring seamless switches that maximize your savings potential while minimizing administrative hassle.

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