Even as the Public Utility Commission prepares for hearings on Penelec’s rate increase request, which would take effect next year, the “price to compare” for Penelec electricity consumers is going down.
Penelec rates will drop 8.1 percent, from 10.607 cents to 9.744 cents per kilowatt hour.
The “price to compare” switched this year from being calculated four times a year to twice per year. It generally comprises 40 to 60 percent of a customer’s monthly bill, and covers the actual cost of generating electricity. The rest of the bill includes the cost of distributing the electricity.
The price to compare went down on Saturday for ten of the eleven utilities operating in Pennsylvania. Only UGI, which operates in Luzerne and Wyoming counties, went up, and that was by 5.5 percent.
Meanwhile, the hearings on Penelec’s rate increase request begin June 25th in East Stroudsburg. For our area, the nearest hearings will be in Butler on July 10th and Greensburg on July 11th. There will also be telephone hearings conducted July 16th and 17th. All hearings will be at 1 PM and 6 PM.
Penelec is seeking a 28 percent revenue increase utilizing a 9.8 percent increase in the average customer’s monthly bill.
LOCAL HEARING SCHEDULE FOR PENELEC RATE INCREASE REQUEST
In the Penelec Rate District, a proposed revenue increase of $132,963,000 (28%) would increase the average monthly bill for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month from $200.96 to $220.75 (9.8%).
- Wednesday, July 10 – Butler County
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Butler County Community College (Founders Hall – Parking Lot #6)
107 College Drive
Butler, PA 16002 - Thursday, July 11 – Westmoreland County
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Greensburg Garden and Civic Center (Laurel Room & Iris Room)
951 Old Salem Road
Greensburg, PA 15601
Additionally, telephonic public input hearings have been scheduled for the following date and times:
- Tuesday, July 16
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m. - Wednesday, July 17
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Pre-Registering for the Telephonic Input Hearings
If you wish to testify at one of the telephonic public input hearings, you are encouraged to pre-register by 4 p.m. on Friday, July 12, 2024. If you do not pre-register and provide the necessary information, you may not have an opportunity to testify.
To pre-register by email, contact Judge Dunderdale’s Legal Assistant, Mary Swarner, at mswarner@pa.gov, and provide the following:
- Your first and last name.
- The date and time of the hearing at which you wish to testify.
- The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
- If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.
To pre-register by phone, please contact Judge Dunderdale’s office at 412-565-3550 and leave a message providing the following:
- Your first and last name.
- The date and time of the hearing at which you wish to testify.
- The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
- A phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing if it is necessary to contact you.
- Your email address if you have one.
- If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.
If you do not wish to testify but want to listen to the public input hearing(s), please contact Judge Dunderdale’s office by email at mswarner@pa.gov or phone at 412-565-3550 and provide your name and the hearing(s) you want to listen to ensure adequate caller capacity on the conference bridge to accommodate all callers.
