The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is reminding people to be careful when shopping around for electricity providers.
The new “Price to compare” energy rates for many providers were put into effect on June 1st, and some may be seeing an increase. Penelec, for example, announced an increase of .529 cents per kilowatt hour, representing 5.1%. For the average residential customer, the monthly bill will go up by 14 to 16 dollars. The rate is scheduled to be re-calculated every six months, making this jump effective until November 30th. The changes represent current wholesale energy market conditions and seasonal shifts in electricity demand.
PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank said that some companies may offer short-term contracts, and while they may offer a quick benefit, they also need close attention, as after the deal is over, customers may default to a month-to-month variable rate with unpredictable pricing.
Those selling electricity to you in person need to have an ID that you can check and should not make false claims. The commission advises that those shopping around should not cave in to high-pressure sales tactics and use trusted tools like PAPowerSwitch.com to shop for electricity providers.
