Why is my electric bill so high in Pennsylvania?

Almost every high bill comes from one or more of five causes. The table shows what each one looks like on your bill and who controls it. Not sure which one you have? The tool in the next section tells you.

You need two bills: the high one and an older, lower one. A bill from the same month last year works best, because the weather is alike. Last month's bill works too. No bills handy? Tap Try an example in the tool.

1. 1
   Pick two bills.

   Take the high bill and an older one.

2. 2
   Copy the kWh.

   Each bill shows the kWh (kilowatt-hours) you used.

3. 3
   Copy the two charges.

   Find the supply (or generation) charge and the delivery (or distribution) charge. No split on your bill? Skip those boxes.

4. 4
   Add the total.

   Use the new charges for that bill, not an old balance.

5. 5
   Tap Find the cause.

   You see how many dollars came from power used, the supply price and the delivery rate.

This is an estimate from the numbers you type. It is not a bill, and it cannot see credits, late fees or the fine print in a supplier's contract.

The supply price is what you pay for the power itself. If you did not pick a supplier, your utility sets it and calls it the price to compare. It is a price per kWh, and it resets on June 1 and Dec. 1.

The PUC says this part is about 40% to 60% of a typical bill. So when it moves, your whole bill moves. The table shows the summer price at each big utility in 2024, 2025 and 2026, in cents per kWh.

The chart shows how much more 1,000 kWh cost each month in summer 2026 than in summer 2025. The rise in the price is in brackets.

Over two years the price rose 27% to 37% at these seven utilities. At 1,000 kWh, that is $25 to $36 more each month. A handy rule: each 1 cent of price adds $10 a month at 1,000 kWh.

The numbers come from PUC releases dated May 28, 2024, June 2, 2025 and June 1, 2026. PPL's price was 13.147 on June 1, 2026. PPL then set it at 13.079 on July 1, and the table uses that price.

Why it rose

In 2025 the PUC pointed to two causes: higher natural gas prices and higher capacity costs. Capacity costs are payments to power plants to be ready at peak times. PPL says capacity prices paid to generators in PJM, the grid manager for the region, drove its rise. PECO says the capacity part of the supply charge does not go to PECO.

PPL and PECO both say they pass the supply cost through at cost, with no markup. You cannot change your utility's price. You can compare it with supplier offers, and you can cut your use. Our price to compare guide shows where to find it on your bill.

The delivery rate pays for poles, wires, meters and crews. The PUC sets it. A utility files a rate case to ask for more money each year. The PUC and consumer groups push back, and the PUC approves far less than the request. After that, the delivery rate often holds for years.

FirstEnergy PA covers four districts: Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power. PPL says its new delivery rates are its first base rate increase since 2016.

What it meant for a bill, and what comes next

• PPL: About $6.48 more a month at 1,000 kWh from July 1, 2026, by PPL's figure. PPL agreed not to raise these rates for two years. A separate case, filed by the state's Office of Consumer Advocate, asks the PUC to make data centers pay more of the costs they cause. Gov. Shapiro asked to join it on Oct. 15, 2026. No new price has been set.
• PECO: At 700 kWh, the PUC said bills would rise $13.58 a month in 2025 and $2.70 more in 2026. PECO asked for about $429 million more in March 2026 and withdrew the request in April. The PUC closed the case on April 30, 2026. PECO may file again.
• Duquesne Light: About $5.21 more a month at 600 kWh. Its promise not to file a new rate case ended on March 20, 2026, so it can ask again.
• FirstEnergy PA: At 1,000 kWh, 1.9% more at Met-Ed, 4.1% at Penelec, 4.5% at Penn Power and 6.2% at West Penn Power. It agreed not to ask for new base delivery rates before Jan. 1, 2027 at the earliest.

A rate case changes the delivery part only. The supply price resets on its own schedule. For more on your utility, see our pages on PPL, PECO, Duquesne Light and FirstEnergy.

Open both bills and compare the kWh. If the newer number is higher, you used more power. That is the cause, or part of it.

Check the days, too. A 35-day bill has 17% more days than a 30-day bill. It can use 17% more power with no change at home.

Most jumps in use come from five places:

• Heating. Electric heat and space heaters in a cold snap.
• Cooling. Air conditioners that run longer in hot weather.
• Hot water. An electric water heater, or one with a stuck heating element.
• More people at home. Kids on break, guests or working from home.
• A new device. An EV charger, a hot tub or a dehumidifier.

Check each big apliance first. The label on it lists its watts. Watts divided by 1,000, times the hours you run it each day, times 30, gives kWh for a month.

These are examples, not measurements. The cost column uses 20 cents per kWh. That is close to the 2025 state average of 19.3 cents, from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Your devices, hours and price will differ.

What counts as high?

The average Pennsylvania home used about 839 kWh a month in 2025 and paid about $162, says the EIA. A home that heats with electricity uses far more. In the PUC's 2026 report, a home using 2,000 kWh with electric heat paid $354.56 to $451.50 a month at the seven big utilities. Those are default rates as of Jan. 31, 2026, before the June price rises.

Your bill names a supplier only if you chose one. If you did, a supplier can raise your cost in two ways.

To check, compare two numbers on your bill: your supplier's price per kWh and your utility's price to compare. If yours is higher, you pay more than the default price.

As of October 20, 2026, 34% of the per-kWh offers on PA Power Switch cost less than the price to compare. We leave out our partner's plans. Low is not always cheaper. The PUC warns that an offer below the price to compare may be a short deal, typically three to six months. After that, you can land on a month-to-month rate that moves.

What your supplier must tell you

Pennsylvania's rules (52 Pa. Code § 54.10) give you notice before a fixed deal ends.

1. 45 to 60 days before the endThe supplier sends a first notice. It says the deal is ending and whether a cancellation fee applies.
2. At least 30 days before the endA second letter lists your options. It gives the new price per kWh.
3. From that letter to the end dateYou can leave with no cancellation fee.
4. If you do nothingYou move to a month-to-month plan or a new fixed deal. Neither may carry a cancellation fee.

Going back to your utility costs nothing, says PA Power Switch. Call your utility and ask for default service. Leaving a fixed deal early can bring a fee that is in your contract, but not in the last 30 days. Our PA Power Switch guide walks through the steps. To see who sells power here, read our Pennsylvania electric suppliers page.

If your bill says "estimated", the utility did not read your meter. It guessed your use from past bills. The guess can be too high. A catch-up charge can follow when a real reading shows you used more. A bigger catch-up bill can follow a billing error, a failed meter or four estimates in a row.

The rules are 52 Pa. Code §§ 56.12, 56.14, 57.22 and 57.24. They cover utilities the PUC regulates. Here is what to do:

1. 1
   Find the word "estimated."

   Look near the kWh on the bill.

2. 2
   Read your meter.

   Write down the number and send it the way your utility says. That can be on its website, by phone or on a postcard.

3. 3
   Ask for a review.

   If a charge or the kWh looks wrong, call and ask. Then follow the dispute steps.

Budget billing spreads your yearly cost into equal monthly payments. It does not lower what you owe. It stops the big swings in summer and winter. The PUC's rules say what you can expect:

• Every electric utility must offer it, and you can join at any time of year.
• It averages your cost over 10, 11 or 12 months.
• The utility must review your account at least three times during the year.
• At the end of the year you may owe a leftover. A leftover of $100 to $300 can be spread over 6 months if you ask. A leftover above $300 can be spread over at least 12 months.

If a bill is more than you can pay, call your utility before you miss a payment. The PUC says Pennsylvania utilities run programs such as Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs), budget billing, weatherization and hardship funds. The federal LIHEAP program helps with heating bills. Our guide to help with an electric bill explains who qualifies and how to apply.

Start with your utility. For most problems with a PUC-regulated utility, you must contact it before you file a complaint with the PUC.

1. Call your utilitySay which charge looks wrong. Ask for a review. Write down the date, the name and what they said.
2. Pay what you do not disputeThe rules say you must keep paying the part of the bill you do not dispute.
3. Wait for the reportDuring a dispute the utility cannot send a shutoff notice over that charge. It must look into it and send its report within 30 days.
4. File an informal complaintUse the PUC's online form or call 1-800-692-7380. It is not a legal case.
5. Go formal only if neededA formal complaint is a legal case. A judge hears the evidence and decides.

If it turns out you overpaid, the rules say you get the money back with interest.

Rural electric cooperatives and utilities owned by a city, borough or township are not regulated by the PUC. If that is you, the PUC's complaint page lists who to contact.

Your utility resets the supply price on Dec. 1. Final prices come out in late November. Last year the PUC posted them on Nov. 24. Some utilities post estimates earlier, and five have. As of Oct. 16, 2026, PPL and PECO had not. Their price now is 13.079 cents per kWh at PPL and 11.759 at PECO.

All prices are in cents per kWh. Treat the estimates as a guide, not a final price. FirstEnergy says its figures are only illustrations and that actual charges will vary. Duquesne Light says its price can change up to four times a year. We read these estimates on Oct. 16, 2026.

To get ready:

1. 1
   Note your kWh.

   Write down your use from the last two bills. Winter use is often higher.

2. 2
   Check your supplier's end date.

   A deal that ends in winter can roll onto a higher price.

3. 3
   Ask about budget billing.

   Join before the cold months if you want steady payments.

4. 4
   Look up the new price in late November.

   Use the PUC's alert or PA Power Switch. Then run the tool again with your next bill.