What do you compare on a Pennsylvania offer?
Compare five things: the price per kWh, any monthly fee, the length of the deal, the cancel fee and what happens at the end. The PUC requires every supplier to give you a disclosure statement. State rules say the prices in it must match the prices marketed and billed to you.
| Line | Why it matters | Compare it? |
|---|---|---|
| Price per kWh, and whether it is fixed or can change | It is the biggest part of your supply cost | Yes |
| Monthly fee | A flat fee raises the real price when you use little power | Yes |
| Start date and end date | Tells you how long the price holds | Yes |
| Cancel fee, in dollars | What you pay to leave early | Yes |
| Renewal terms | What price you get when the deal ends | Yes |
| Delivery charges | Same for every offer in your utility area | No |
Rules say fees must be shown "in actual dollars" or with a way to work them out. PA Power Switch says every supplier must also give you a one-page contract summary. It covers price type, deposits, incentives, length, cancel fees and how the deal ends. Ask for both papers, not only the ad.
If you only want to learn what the number on your bill means, read our price to compare guide. If you want a tour of the state's site, see how PA Power Switch works.
Does this offer beat my utility? The free tool
Pick your utility from the list. Type the offer's price, its monthly fee, its length, its cancel fee and the kWh you use in a month. You do not need your ZIP code. The tool adds up the offer over its term, sets it against your utility's price to compare, and says switch or don't switch.
Fill in the offer and press "See my verdict". You get the cost of the offer next to the cost of your price to compare over the whole contract, a plain answer, and a warning if your price to compare is about to change.
Partner toolWe get paid if you sign up. You don’t pay more, and it never changes our scores.
This is an estimate of the supply part of your bill, not a bill. It uses your utility's price to compare as we last read it. It leaves out taxes, delivery and any fee you do not type in. It also shows what a Dec. 1 change would do, where a utility has posted an early price. You can save a calendar reminder or print the result. The tool keeps nothing you type.
Use a hot month and a mild month to see how your kWh changes the answer. Your bill shows the kWh for the month. A flat fee hurts most in a low-use month.
Below the tool you will see a snapshot of the market, read from the state's list on October 24, 2026. It shows how many offers beat your utility's price today, plus the lowest and the middle price. Use it to see if the offer in your hand is typical.
What is the price to beat at each utility?
Find your utility on your bill. The first price in the table is what your utility charges for supply today. The right-hand columns show how the market sits against it.
| Utility | Price to compare now | Since | Dec. 1, 2026 estimate | Offers under it | Middle fixed price, 12 months or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPL Electric | 13.079¢ | Jul 1, 2026 | None in our data yet | 52 of 147 | 13.59¢ |
| PECO | 11.759¢ | Jun 1, 2026 | None in our data yet | 56 of 145 | 12.19¢ |
| Duquesne Light | 14.140¢ | Jun 1, 2026 | 14.560¢ | 44 of 131 | 14.99¢ |
| Met-Ed | 13.951¢ | Jun 1, 2026 | 14.422¢ | 73 of 130 | 13.97¢ |
| Penelec | 13.142¢ | Jun 1, 2026 | 13.564¢ | 34 of 131 | 13.99¢ |
| Penn Power | 13.477¢ | Jun 1, 2026 | 13.893¢ | 31 of 112 | 14.39¢ |
| West Penn Power | 12.075¢ | Jun 1, 2026 | 12.386¢ | 23 of 130 | 13.28¢ |
| UGI Electric | 12.615¢ | Oct 19, 2026 | No set date | 5 of 8 | 13.94¢ |
Dec. 1 prices are early estimates that the utilities posted themselves, so final prices can differ. FirstEnergy marks its own as "for illustrative purposes only." The offer counts and middle prices come from the PA Power Switch list, last read October 24, 2026, and a robot keeps them current. A small utility not shown here is named on your bill.
A fixed offer that sits above the price to compare today may still win after Dec. 1 if the new price is higher. The reverse can also happen. Our tool shows both cases.
Why can the lower price cost more?
An offer can beat your utility on the first line and lose over the whole term. Here are the usual reasons.
- A fixed price for the whole term with no fee.
- A cancel fee of $0, or a small one you could live with.
- A low price for the first months that then jumps to a higher one.
- A variable price. State rules say the contract must tell you the price can change each billing period.
- A monthly fee that adds cents to every kWh you use.
- A cancel fee that traps you in a deal that stopped being a bargain.
- A renewal that moves you to a month-to-month price you did not pick.
Here is a made-up example. Your utility charges 12.0¢. An offer says 9.9¢ for 3 months, then 14.5¢ after that, over a 12-month term.
| Months | Offer price | Offer cost per month | Utility at 12.0¢ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1 to 3 | 9.9¢ | $99 | $120 |
| Months 4 to 12 | 14.5¢ | $145 | $120 |
| Whole year | Average 13.4¢ | $1,602 | $1,440 |
The offer saves $63 in the first 3 months. Then it costs $25 more each month for 9 months, which is $225. It ends the year $162 behind. The headline price looked like a deal. The whole term was not.
For a variable offer, a contract must explain how the price can change. It must also say that past prices do not predict future ones. Treat a variable price as a guess, not a rate.
Which charges can you compare, and which can't you?
You can compare the supply price and the supplier's fees. You cannot compare delivery, which your utility sets with PUC approval. A new supplier does not change who delivers your power or who fixes an outage.
| Part of the bill | Who sets it | Does the offer change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Supply price per kWh | You choose a supplier, or your utility sets its price to compare | Yes, this is what you compare |
| Supplier monthly fee | The supplier | Yes |
| Delivery per kWh and customer charge | Your utility, approved by the PUC | No |
| Taxes | The state | No |
If a bill shows both, the supply line is the one that should drop. Check your next bill. If the delivery line moved, the cause is not your supplier.
How do you compare suppliers, not only prices?
Once the numbers work, look at the company. Compare licence status, complaints, how clear the paperwork is, and how they handle the end of a deal.
- The supplier is on the PUC's list of licensed suppliers.
- It gave you a disclosure statement and a contract summary in writing.
- The renewal notice rules are clear: two notices before a fixed deal ends.
- You can find its phone number and a way to cancel.
- It pushed you to decide on the spot or at the door.
- It would not send the terms before you agreed.
Our supplier ranking scores the suppliers on public records. This page stays on the math, so pair the two when you shortlist.
How do you compare offers in 6 steps?
Find your price to compare and your kWh, list two or three offers, run each through the tool, read the papers, then sign and keep the dates.
- 1Find your price to compare.
It is on your bill, under the supply charges.
- 2Find your kWh.
Use a hot month and a mild one.
- 3Pick offers of the same kind.
Fixed with fixed, variable with variable.
- 4Run each through the tool.
Add the fee and the cancel fee.
- 5Read the disclosure statement.
Check the end date and the renewal line.
- 6Sign, then watch the clock.
You have 3 business days to cancel. Set a reminder for the end date: the first notice comes 45 to 60 days ahead, the second at least 30 days ahead.
To browse offers for your ZIP, use the plan finder on this page. When you want a side-by-side list, the state's own site lists them for free.
Look up your utility on your bill, enter one offer in the tool, and sign only if it beats your utility for the whole term.
Compare plans at my ZIPA partner runs the plan finder. If you sign up, it may pay us a fee, and that never moves a rating or a score.
Questions, answered
How do I compare electricity rates in Pennsylvania?
Price each offer over its whole term, including any monthly fee, and compare it with your utility's price to compare. Then read the disclosure statement for the cancel fee and the renewal terms.
Which electricity providers compare best on rates?
There is no single winner. It changes with your utility, your kWh and the day. Use the tool on this page to test the offers you have, and see our supplier ranking for the company side.
Is the lowest price per kWh the cheapest offer?
Not always. A monthly fee, a short intro price or a variable price can make a lower rate cost more over the term.
Do all offers in my area have the same delivery charge?
Yes. Your utility sets delivery, and every supplier's customers pay it. Offers differ in supply price and fees.
What is the best way to compare electric rates for the whole year?
Add each month's cost for the term, using your own kWh, and divide by the months. The tool does this and shows the total next to your utility's.
Why do two sites show different rates for the same offer?
A site may show a different date, a different kWh or only some offers. Match the date, utility and term, then check the supplier's own paper.
Can I compare electricity rates by ZIP code?
Yes. The state's site and the plan finder on this page take a ZIP. A ZIP can include more than one utility, so your bill names the right one.
When does my utility's price to compare change?
Most Pennsylvania utilities reset it on June 1 and Dec. 1, and some on other dates. Check your utility's notice. See price to compare by utility.
How long do I have to cancel a new supplier contract?
You have 3 business days after you get the disclosure statement. State rules do not let a supplier ask you to give that up.
What happens when my fixed offer ends?
Your supplier must send two notices. The first comes 45 to 60 days before. The second, by first class mail at least 30 days before, states the new price. If you do nothing, your price may change.
What do you want to do next?
Sources and updates
Sources (7)
- Pennsylvania Code, 52 Pa. Code section 54.5, disclosure statement: Prices must match marketed and billed prices, fees in actual dollars, the conditions of variability and the 3-business-day right of rescission (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- Pennsylvania Code, 52 Pa. Code section 54.10, notice of contract expiration: The initial notice 45 to 60 days ahead and the options notice at least 30 days ahead, by first class mail (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PA Power Switch, Understanding Contracts: The Electric Generation Supplier Contract Summary and the two renewal notices (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PA Power Switch: The state's free offer list, by ZIP, with fixed and variable plans (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Consumer reminder: summer electric price changes begin (press release, June 2026): Utilities reset the price to compare on set dates.
- Duquesne Light, Residential rates: The Dec. 1, 2026 price estimate.
- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, Estimated price to compare, Met-Ed, Dec. 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027: The utility's own illustrative estimate for Met-Ed; the other three FirstEnergy files sit in the same folder.
Changelog · last updated November 1, 2026 · 1 update
- November 1, 2026: Guide published.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "How to compare electricity rates in Pennsylvania, offer by offer", updated November 1, 2026, https://theday.company/pa/compare-pa-electricity-rates.
The Day Company is not affiliated with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PA Power Switch, any utility or any electric supplier. Prices and offer counts come from public lists on the dates shown and can change at any time. The tool gives an estimate, not a quote or a promise of savings. This guide is information, not legal advice. Our plan finder is Power HQ, operated by Blitz Ventures Inc. (doing business as EnergyBot), which holds Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission licence A-2018-2647582.