Penelec History
In 1890, local investors in Blairsville PA organized the Citizens Heat, Light, and Power Company to supply its borough residents with gas, heat, and electricity. In the early days of the utility industry, small, local utilities grew rapidly by expanding their operations into neighboring towns. By June 1912, Citizens acquired about 20 other gas, heat, and electricity companies throughout central and western PA and changed its name to the Penn Public Service Company. By 1919, the company supplied electricity to 30,359 customers in towns and cities such as Erie, Lewistown, Oil City, and more.
In 1927, the mammoth Associated Gas and Electric company took over the company and folded it into its new subsidiary, the Pennsylvania Electric Company -- or Penelec. After World War II, Penelec merged with Met-Ed and Jersey Central Power & Light Company, forming General Public Utilities Corporation (GPU) in 1946.
Following Pennsylvania's deregulation in 1996, Penelec sold off its power plants to comply with the new law. A short time later in 2001, FirstEnergy acquired GPU -- and with it, Penelec -- for $4.5 billion.
Today, Penelec continues its long history of giving back to its community through a number of charitable programs through FirstEnergy. These include energy conservation efforts like the Community Connections Program, supporting education through its STEM Grant, and charitable giving through the FirstEnergy Foundation.
Penelec Service Territory
Penelec serves nearly 600,000 customers in some or all of these central and western Pennsylvania counties:
| Armstrong | Bedford | Blair | Bradford | Cambria |
| Centre | Clarion | Clearfield | Crawford | Cumberland |
| Erie | Forest | Franklin | Huntingdon | Indiana |
| Jefferson | Juniata | Lycoming | McKean | Mifflin |
| Perry | Potter | Somerset | Sullivan | Susquehanna |
| Tioga | Venango | Warren | Wayne | Westmoreland |
| Wyoming | ||||
Penelec serves these cities:
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- Enter zip code.
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In Pennsylvania, electricity utility service territories may overlap in some zip codes. If the tool reports that it has found more than one serving your zip code, don't worry! Just choose your local utility from those listed.
You'll then get to see the listing of all the energy suppliers' plans available in your area, along with rates, term lengths, and links to more detail information.
How to Start New Penelec Service
Getting set up with Penelec is easy and convenient. Just visit the Penelec web site and simply fill in the online Start Service form.
Start requests take at least 2 days to process and First Energy will send you an email confirming your start date.
Customers should call the Penelec Contact Center if they need their service turned on sooner.
Be ready to supply:
- Service Address: The address where you want your service turned on or switched.
- The start date for electricity service.
- Personal Information: You will need your name, phone number, email address, and your Social Security Number. These will be required.
- Penelec will do a soft credit check to determine if a deposit is required.
Will I Need to Pay a Deposit?
Credit Rating -- Penelec has the right to check your credit history and level of credit risk to determine whether a security deposit is necessary. Other factors include whether the customer was previously disconnected or has unpaid energy bills.
TIP -- Be sure to unfreeze your credit. If you have frozen your credit with any of the major credit agencies, you will need to have it temporarily unfrozen before you submit a new service request.
Pay a Deposit -- Penelec must notify you in writing within 3 business days about the specific reasons why you are required to pay a security deposit. PA law states that deposits cannot be greater than an estimated two months usage.
Customers have 21 days after the utilty sends the deposity request notification to make a payment. However, customers have three months to pay the full deposit. The utlity can hold the deposit for 24 months. If the customer pays their bill in full and on time for 12 consecutive months, the deposit will earn interest.
Customers also have the right to use a guarantor who is a credit-worthy customer with Penelec and can pay your bills if you fail to do so.
Understand Penelec Delivery and Supply Charges
In Pennsylvania, residential customers pay for both the cost to deliver their electricity as well as for the amount of electricity supply that they use.
Understand Penelec PTC Charges
When deregulation began in Pennsylvania, all utilities that wanted to participate in consumer choice had to sell off their generators. However, the PAPUC requires these utilities to provide electricity supply at a default rate to customers in their service territory who don't shop for a retail supplier. As a result, these utilities must purchase their electricity supply for the default rate from generator companies.
The PAPUC oversees Penelec's default service rates since these represent generation supply costs that are passed directly through the utility onto their customers without mark up. This default rate is also called the "Price to Compare" or PTC.
Price to Compare (PTC)
The PTC default rate represents the actual price (both generation and transmission) the utility pays for the electricity. It not only includes the generator company's price for making the electricity but also the cost to transmit it from power stations over high tension power lines to Penelec's local electrical switch yards. From there, the electricity is distributed throughout the Penelec local electrical grid for delivery to homes.
In Pennsylvania, First Energy's utilities set PTC rates by holding auctions to line up their electricity supplies. Auctions are held four times a year to cover four delivery periods. Consequently, Penelec's PTC rates change every March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1. When the auctions are completed, the PAPUC must approve the prices for both the generation supply and transmission.
For customers, it means these electricity rates can vary seasonally; low some months, higher the next.
Penelec Current PTC Residential Rate:
9.703 cents per kWh, expires 12/31/2023
NOTE: There are approximately thirty-five borough-owned public power systems in Pennsylvania. These purchase energy for their local residents. Many prohibit residents from shopping for their own provider. If you live in one of these communities, check with your local government to learn more.
How Much Do Penelec PTC Charges Cost?
The DOE EIA estimates that the average Pennsylvania residence uses an average of 864 kWh each month. Therefore, an average PTC bill roughly breaks down like this:
| Rate per 864 kWh Used | Monthly Customer Charge | Total | |
| PTC Supply Rate | 9.703 cents | 0 | $83.83 |
| Monthly Distribution Charges (excluding riders) | $0.06074 per kWh | $11.25 | $63.73 |
| Total Bill | $136.55 |
Understand Pennsylvania Energy Choice
Pennsylvania electric consumers are free to choose their own competitive retail electricity supplier. These alternative suppliers shop deals with different producers on the wholesale market to offer competitive rates. As such, their rates are not controlled by PAPUC the same way that utilities are. This way, retail suppliers are able to offer competitively priced fixed rate plans for a variety of term lengths.
Though it can seem confusing, shopping electricity plans is an easy process. The trick is finding the one that meets your needs. That's why retail energy suppliers in Pennsylvania offer two types of plans:
Your Energy Usage and Understanding Your Penelec Bill
While your energy usage habits are unique to you, any Pennsylvania native will tell you that winters can be bitterly cold and summers can be hazy, hot, and humid. While most PA homes rely on natural gas for heating, roughly 1.6 million (29%) of homes in the state use electricity.
Want to learn more about your home energy usage? Penelec customers can track 12 months of their electric usage plus other relevant information on each monthly bill or by logging on to your First Energy account.
The best way to cut your electricity bill is to reduce your usage:
Your utility company can provide a wealth of resources and offers programs to help you improve your home's energy performance.
Understand Your Penelec Bill
Your Penelec bill contains many details that can be confusing to customers. But there's lots of useful information to help you better understand your usage and rate. Below, we break down the most important items on a sample Penelec Electric bill.
Penelec Sample Bill
- A, B, & C: Bill Overview. It includes your address and personal account number with Penelec, the billing period, the amount due, and the date that the bill is due.
- D & E: Messages and current PTC rate. Here you find important notifications from Penelec as well as current Price to Compare rate offered by Penelec.
- F: Account Summary shows the amounts of any unpaid balances, current Penelec distribution charges, current supply charges, the total bill and the due date.
- G: Meter Summary: This shows the usage information measured by the electric meter at your address.
- H: Charges from Penelec include the type of rate you are being charged, the monthly customer charge, the distribution charges, and the total.
- I: Charges from Electric Generation Supplier show the name and address of your electricity supplier, their base rate charged, and the total supplier charges due.
- J: Account Balances by Company lays out the amounts that have been paid or are owed to Penelec and your supplier.
- K: Shows your usage history per bill over the course of the past year to help you compare your energy use over time and understand trends.
- L: Payment Stub. Just detach and return with your payment. It also includes your account number, amount paid, amount due, and the due date.
Penelec Coupons, Energy Promotions, Discounts, Rebates and Promo Codes
As your local electric utility, Penelec offers several rebate and energy efficiency programs to help customers save money off their monthly bill by upgrading their home's energy performance. Some programs also offer money-saving incentives while others could make paying your monthly bills much easier during those expensive winter months.
| Program Name | Program Type | Benefit |
| Appliance and HVAC Rebates Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | Pennsylvania residential customers of Penelec, Penelec, Penn Power and Penelec can now take advantage of rebates on the purchase of ENERGY STAR certified appliances and HVAC systems.
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| Appliance Turn-In Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | Recycle your old working fridge or freezer and get $50. Plus, you save money on your electricity bill.
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| Energy Efficient New Homes | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program provides financial incentives for construction of more energy-efficient single-family, multifamily and manufactured homes. Entire new homes can also receive the ENERGY STAR certification. Energy efficient homes not only reduce energy costs but also increase comfort. Homes qualified through the FirstEnergy New Homes Program achieve energy efficiency through established, reliable building techniques. |
| Home Energy Analyzer | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | First Energy's Home Energy Analyzer is a simple, convenient tool you can use to save energy and money. Best of all, it's free. Just register online with your account number and zip code. |
| Residential Energy Audit Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | First Energy customers can sign up for the low cost Home Energy Audit Program. A certifeid energy audiotr will:
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| Lighting Discounts and Water Heating Rebates | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | First Energy's customers can take advantage of instant discounts on the purchase of qualified ENERGY STAR?® certified bulbs. Customers can also receive an instant $500 discount at participating retailers when they purchase a qualified heat pump water heater. |
| Penelec Payment Arrangements | Bill payment assistance | Penelec offers payment arrangements to allow residential customers to pay their account balance in monthly installments. These installments are billed along with your current monthly charges and both must be paid on time, in full each month.
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| WARM Program | Residential Energy Efficiency | Helps eligible Penelec customers using more than 375 kWh per month a way to reduce their electric bills through home weatherization and conservation. |
| Medical Certificate | Bill payment assistance | This will delay termination of service for up to 30 days if you are eligible for a medical certificate or renewal, and if you or anyone living in your home is seriously ill. A licensed physician, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner must notify Penelec in writing. |
| LIHEAP Cash and Crisis Grants | Bill payment assistance | LIHEAP usually opens in early November and closes in early April. The program is available to eligible customers whose income is 150% of the Federal Poverty Level or below. |
| Dollar Energy Fund | Bill payment assistance | Penelec partners with Dollar Energy Fund to provide help to limited-income households.
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| Penelec Customer Assistance & Referral Evaluation Service (CARES) program | Bill payment assistance | There are no income guidelines to qualify for the CARES Program. You may qualify for CARES if you:
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| Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program (PCAP) | Bill payment assistance | Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program (PCAP) helps residential customers maintain electric service and eliminate their past-due balance. To apply. Customers will need to supply the following information:
Participants are billed approximately the same amount each month in order to manageably reduce their debt. Apply through the Dollar Energy Fund. |
Read Penelec Reviews
Since Penelec serves a large east coast market segment, southeast Pennsylvania residential customers can get a better picture of how good a job it does by comparing it to similar large-scale utilities. Penelec is not accredited with the BBB but the utility is well-rated in J.D. Power's 2021 utility residential customer satisfaction study. The utility also rated well in Escalent's 2021 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study.
| PA Energy Ratings Score | Better Business Bureau | J.D. Power 2021 Electricity Utility Study | Escalent 2021 Utility Study |
| N/A | Not Accredited | 735 of 1000 pts |
690 of 1000 pts |
How Do I Get the Cheapest Penelec Rate?
Shopping for a new Penelec Customer Choice Plan can seem bewildering at first. Once you understand how it works, though, it's an easy and straightforward process. That said, you should have these three things with you when you shop for electricity.
- Your current bill. Your past usage per billing period can help you estimate a how much a plan might cost you each month.
- The current Penelec PTC and expiration date. Knowing the current Penelec supply price lets you compare rates offered by retail energy suppliers. This way, you can get a better feel for what suppliers are offering, for how long, and if any of their incentives make their price work for your family's need.
- Your Penelec of Pennsylvania customer account number. This 12 digit number is located on your bill. Having it handy lets you sign up with a retail supplier right away.
Penelec Shopping Questions
The best way for a PA energy customer to avoid making a bad choice is to ask the right questions. That way, you can learn exactly the information that can save you money. When you shop for electricity service in Pennsylvania, always be sure to ask these important questions:
- Is the rate variable or is it fixed?
- Is the rate competitive with the current Penelec supply rate?
- How long does the plan contract term run?
- Does the plan's contract term last longer than Penelec's PTC rate?
- Does the plan include any recurring monthly charges?
- Does the plan have an early cancellation fee?
- Does the supplier offer any customer incentives or rewards programs?
- What happens when the contract expires?
Other Commonly Asked Pennsylvania Electricity Questions:
Who bills me? Penelec sends a single bill that outlines and adds up your monthly charges.
What are the Terms of Service? In PA, Customer Choice Plans must include Terms of Service that explain and identify specific charges and any fees a customer will face when they sign up for an electricity plan. Not all suppliers have the same terms. That's why all Pennsylvania energy choice customers should read and understand the terms of service and contract summary for any plan they are interested in before they sign on to the plan.
What are early termination fees? Switching retail suppliers before a contract ends can involve paying early termination fees. These can take a big chomp out of your checking account you if choose to switch retail providers before your plan contract ends.
Where can I find more information on my usage? Penelec customers can request 12 months of their energy usage free of charge. This is most easily available through your Penelec online account.
Read Penelec Customer Reviews
Compare Electricity in Your Area
Bill Questions? Electricity Out? Contact Penelec!
Having problems or interruptions with your Penelec electricity? Here's the proper people to call.
Penelec Billing Problems
The PAPUC requires all PA public utilities to offer "budget billing" where annual electricity costs are averaged out over the cost of the year. This ensures that customers aren't presented with unexpectedly high bills at peak times.
- First thing to do is contact Penelec. If you are having trouble paying your monthly bill call Penelec's Customer Service: 1-800-545-7741. Have your account number ready.
- Need extra time to pay your energy bill? Customers can apply to the Customer Assistance Program (CAP) by calling Customer Service or by applying on-line.
- Residential Customers aged sixty (60) years of age or older or a residential customer receiving Social Security or an equivalent monthly pension payment can request to extend the due date of such customer's bill from 20 days to 30 days.
Penelec Emergencies and Outages
All power lines are extremely dangerous! Never attempt to move a downed power line by yourself. Call 911 and then notifiy Penelec.
- Report safety hazards involving power lines immediately to Penelec at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877).
- You can also report downed lines or outages at Penelec's website.
- Check Penelec's current electric outages as they are being repaired.
Penelec Service Area Providers
| Company | Rating | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Constellation | (4.2/5) |
855-798-9075 |
| Frontier Utilities | (3.8/5) |
877-291-6554 |
| Energy Harbor | (3.6/5) |
855-847-5888 |
| APG&E | (3.4/5) |
|
| Santanna Energy Services | (3.1/5) |
855-763-2715 |
| XOOM Energy | (3/5) |
|
| American Power & Gas | (2.9/5) |
866 682 9816 |
| Rushmore Energy | (2.8/5) |
|
| Provision Power & Gas | (2.6/5) |
866-929-2842 |
| Direct Energy | (2.5/5) |
844-225-3948 |
| NRG Home | (2.4/5) |
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| CleanSky Energy | (2.3/5) |
800-581-1016 |
| Green Mountain Energy | (2.1/5) |
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| Sunwave Gas & Power | (2/5) |
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| SFE Energy | (2/5) |
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| AEP Energy | (2/5) |
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| National Gas & Electric | (2/5) |
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| PAG&E | (2/5) |
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| NextEra Energy Services | (2/5) |
855-639-8091 |
| Tomorrow Energy | (1.3/5) |
888-392-8329 |
| Verde Energy | (1.2/5) |
|
| Spring Power & Gas | (0/5) |
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| Kiwi Energy | (0/5) |
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| 23 results | ||
Pennsylvania Zip Codes with the Cheapest Electricity Rates
The Latest Penelec News
Promised Savings Unlikely from FirstEnergy MergerThe PA PUC and FirstEnergy recently agreed to a settlement that will combine the four utilities into one company. Learn how the move affects more... [read more]
Electricity Rates in PA DecreasingWith Price to Compare rates falling this autumn, electricity rates are now falling in PA. Learn how you could lock in savings of up to 40% on your monthly bills... [read more]
PA Electric Customers See Higher PTC Rates Almost ALL PA utiltiies increased their PTC rates on June 1. If you didn't lock in a low priced plan with a retail provider, here's how much more your... [read more]
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