Prepare yourselves: In January 2011, electricity rates in Philadelphia will increase, if not skyrocket. Back in 1997, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a deregulation measure that capped utility rates for consumers in preparation for allowing competition—or “Energy Choice”—in the market. PECO’s cap will expire next year, but citizens in other areas of the state are already feeling the heat from rising bills. The caps for PPL Electric Utilities, which services 25 percent of Pennsylvanians, expired January 1 of this year. The company estimates customers’ monthly bills will increase by 29.7 percent (18.4 percent for small businesses and 36.1 percent for mid-size businesses). These rate hikes make it more important than ever to retrofit and weatherize homes and businesses.
For information on this complicated set of changes, visit puc.state.pa.us/utilitychoice.
