Small businesses serviced by the utility PPL in central Pennsylvania will see their electric rates increase by 33% on June 1, 2011.  The current default electric rate of 9.766 will increase to 13.028.

Business customers who have participated in the PA electric choice program will not be effected by the electric rate increase.  The higher price is for the price to compare, or the default electric rate given to consumers who have not yet chosen a competitive electric supplier.  Cheap business electric rates are available for PPL customers who have not yet shopped for competitive electricity rates.

PPL Competitive Commercial Electricity Rates

The higher energy prices in the summer are expected to increase electricity shopping in the PPL region.  As of April 1, 56% of small businesses serviced by PPL had not switched suppliers and instead remained on the PPL price to compare electric default rate.  With current saving of 10% and more in the competitive electric market, the increased default rate will present and even bigger energy savings opportunity for businesses who won’t be able to afford to allocate more money on their electric bills.

Electric choice is still a new concept to many consumers.  Many business owners do not fully understand the benefits of choice and would rather stay with PPL, a company who they are familiar with.  The important fact that these commercial energy customers are missing is that PPL, as the local utility, continues to deliver the power to their customers regardless of the electric supplier chosen.  This distinction between electricity supplier and electricity utility (delivery company) has caused confusion to many customers in energy deregulated markets.

Though residential electric rates lowered in 2011 for PPL electric customers, the lowest electricity rates in the PPL territory are being offered by competitive electric companies.  The PPL area contains about 1.2 million residential electricity customers in central Pennsylvania.  The majority of these customers are paying the default rate for their electric generation service known as the price to compare.

Customers paying the PPL default rate can find better electricity prices by shopping for competitive rates.  Those consumers who have taken the time to learn about electricity choice have realized that it makes sense as the end result is a lower electric bill.

Despite the price to compare rate coming down from 10.44 in 2010 to 9.27 in 2011, PPL customers can save an additional 9% if they lock in a fixed electricity rate by going here.  Even after choosing another electricity supplier, customers continue to receive their electricity bill from PPL.  PP&L is a local utility company.  Even though Pennsylvania has deregulated the electricity market, PPL continues to serve at the electric delivery company for all of their customers, as well as continues to send the monthly electric bill to all of their customers, even the ones who have switched suppliers.

Current Competitive Residential PPL Rates: