Pennsylvania Electric Choice: Compare Supplier Rates at 1000 kWh
Pennsylvania is one of the states where most residential customers can choose who sells them electricity while a local utility continues to deliver it over the wires. If you have never switched—or your fixed-rate contract is about to expire—the question is not whether offers exist. The question is whether any of them beat what you would pay by staying on default service, once you compare apples to apples at a realistic usage level.
This guide walks through how Pennsylvania electric choice works, why comparison sites normalize offers to 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, how to use the Price to Compare as your benchmark, and how to estimate supply costs before you sign anything.
How Pennsylvania Electric Choice Works
Retail choice—sometimes called customer choice—means you can buy the generation portion of your power from a competitive supplier instead of taking default service from your utility. Pennsylvania has offered this option since restructuring in the late 1990s, and participation is substantial: in 2024, ¹, meaning a majority of retail load is served through competitive supply arrangements.
The ². Participation is voluntary—unlike Texas, where most customers in competitive areas must choose a retail electric provider.
Two roles matter:
- Electric Distribution Company (EDC): Your local wires utility—such as PPL Electric, Duquesne Light, or one of the FirstEnergy Pennsylvania utilities (Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power)—owns the poles, lines, and meters. It delivers power, handles outages, and bills you. That relationship does not change when you switch suppliers.
- Electric Generation Supplier (EGS): A licensed retail supplier that sells you the energy itself. If you do not choose one, the EDC procures default service on your behalf through regulated auctions.
As the ³, the distribution utility remains responsible for transmission and delivery even when customers select a third-party supplier for energy. ⁴ notes that in some states, customers buy electricity directly from a power marketer while the local utility delivers it—and that no matter the source, the distribution utility operates the network connecting homes and businesses to the grid.
Default Service and the Price to Compare
If you never switch—or you switch back—you are on default service (also called provider of last resort or standard offer service). Your EDC buys power through competitive wholesale auctions and passes the cost through to you at regulated rates that change on a set schedule—often every six months for residential customers.
The Price to Compare (PTC) is the per-kWh benchmark for that default generation supply. It appears on your bill and on Pennsylvania's official shopping portal, PAPowerSwitch.com. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has urged customers to treat PAPowerSwitch as the neutral benchmark when evaluating telemarketing pitches, mailers, and online ads. ⁵, the commission said PAPowerSwitch "prominently list[s] the default service Price to Compare as the top-listed rate by default sorting" and provides "a reliable benchmark to assess the competitiveness and terms of energy offers."
That same reporting noted the PUC's warning about unofficial "copycat" shopping sites that mimic official portals but may not present unbiased information—another reason to anchor comparisons to the PUC-backed site rather than whatever appears first in search results.
PTC rates vary by utility territory and customer class (residential vs. commercial). They also reset periodically. ⁶, as filed with the PUC, illustrate the range across territories:
| Utility territory | Residential PTCDefault (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|
| Met-Ed | 12.965 |
| Penelec | 11.747 |
| Penn Power | 12.606 |
| West Penn Power | 10.947 |
Those figures cover default supply only, before minor surcharges such as the state tax adjustment surcharge (STAS). ⁶ that differences between PTCDefault and STAS-adjusted Prices to Compare are tiny—at most about 0.002¢ per kWh at the time of that filing—but it is worth confirming which version a given comparison tool displays.
Customers with demands of 100 kW and above may be placed on hourly priced default service rather than fixed-rate default; ⁷ reaffirmed the 100 kW cutoff separating fixed-price default service for smaller customers from hourly priced service for larger ones. Most homes and small businesses fall well below that threshold.
Why Comparing at 1,000 kWh Matters
Supplier offers are quoted in cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh)—the price for each unit of energy you use. Your actual bill depends on how many kWh you consume in a billing period. To compare Plan A against Plan B against the Price to Compare, you need a common usage assumption.
1,000 kWh per month is a widely used standard in competitive-market disclosures. ⁸ used 1,000 kWh "to represent a typical residential bill" when calculating estimated monthly costs across supplier offers. The methodology remains relevant: multiply the advertised ¢/kWh rate by 1,000, divide by 100, and you have an estimated monthly supply charge in dollars—before taxes, fees, and delivery charges.
How does 1,000 kWh compare to real Pennsylvania usage? ⁹ show Pennsylvania households averaging about 817 kWh per month with an average retail price of 17.77¢/kWh and a typical bill around $145.17. Using 1,000 kWh for comparisons is slightly higher than the state average, which is intentional: it produces a conservative cost estimate and makes fixed monthly fees (if any) less distortive on a per-kWh basis.
¹⁰ show nationwide residential usage climbing well above 1,000 kWh in peak summer months—another reason to run comparisons at both 1,000 kWh and your personal high-season usage if you rely on central air conditioning.
If your household runs electric heat, your winter months may also exceed 1,000 kWh. Adjust the math to your own usage—but start with 1,000 kWh because that is how most offer cards and shopping portals are designed to be read side by side.
Quick calculation
Estimated monthly supply cost = (rate in ¢/kWh ÷ 100) × usage in kWh
Examples using the December 2025 FirstEnergy residential PTCDefault figures cited above:
- Met-Ed at 12.965¢/kWh × 1,000 kWh = $129.65 per month for generation supply
- West Penn Power at 10.947¢/kWh × 1,000 kWh = $109.47 per month for generation supply
If a retail supplier offers 11.50¢/kWh fixed for 12 months in Met-Ed territory, that is $115.00 per month at 1,000 kWh—about $14.65 less than the default supply figure in the table above, before counting any supplier fees. Run the same math with your actual average kWh from the last twelve months of bills for a personalized estimate.
¹¹ that shaving 1¢/kWh off your effective rate saves roughly $108 per year at typical usage—so a gap of 1.5¢/kWh at 1,000 kWh monthly is worth about $180 annually in supply charges alone.
What You Are Actually Shopping For
Not every line on your electric bill is up for grabs. ¹². ¹, but that bundled figure blends supply and delivery; the generation portion you shop for is only part of the total.
When you compare supplier offers at 1,000 kWh, you are comparing the energy supply charge—sometimes labeled generation or ES charge on your bill. ¹³, with transmission and distribution systems connecting power plants to consumers—costs your EDC continues to recover when you switch generation suppliers.
¹⁴ emphasizes that consumers benefit when they can easily compare prices and terms among competing offers—which is exactly what the 1,000 kWh normalization is designed to support.
Using PAPowerSwitch to Compare Offers
Pennsylvania's official portal—PAPowerSwitch.com, operated under PUC oversight—lists licensed supplier offers alongside the Price to Compare for your utility territory. The PUC's guidance, ⁵, is to use this site rather than third-party aggregators that may prioritize paid placements. Official pages are labeled "The Official Electric Shopping Website of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission."
A practical comparison workflow:
- Find your Price to Compare for your EDC and customer class on PAPowerSwitch. It should appear at or near the top of offer listings.
- Set or note the usage level—typically 500, 1,000, or 2,000 kWh if the site offers toggles. Use 1,000 kWh unless your bills consistently show a different level.
- Review each offer's rate type, term, and estimated monthly cost at your chosen usage.
- Calculate or read the estimated monthly supply cost at your chosen usage.
- Read contract terms: introductory rates, cancellation fees, automatic renewal to variable pricing, and whether the rate is truly all-inclusive of supplier surcharges.
¹¹ that if you live in a choice state, compare supplier rates regularly and understand that promotional rates often rise when the promotional period ends.
Fixed, Variable, and Introductory Rates
Not all ¢/kWh quotes carry the same risk profile:
- Fixed-rate offers lock in a supply price for the contract term—useful when default service rates reset every six months and wholesale prices are volatile. ¹⁵ notes that competitive markets can introduce prepaid plans, variable contracts, and renewable products—but also that residential customers in competitive markets have often paid more per kWh through competitive suppliers than through default service, while commercial and industrial customers have tended to pay less.
- Variable-rate offers can change every billing cycle or even more frequently. ⁸ found that variable plans "offer no rate security" and that some required checking a website every month for the current rate. ¹⁶ would require quarterly affirmative consent for month-to-month variable products starting June 1, 2027—but the fundamental risk remains: a low sticker rate today is not a guarantee tomorrow.
- Introductory or teaser rates may beat the Price to Compare for a few months, then step up sharply. Always compare the post-introductory rate against the PTC, not just the first bill.
When evaluating green power offers, confirm whether the premium buys certified renewable energy attributes or merely reflects marketing language—and whether the price still beats default service at 1,000 kWh once you include any adders. ¹⁷ have included options for renewable energy attributes procured through separate auctions—useful context for understanding how green default products differ from retail green contracts.
What Stays the Same When You Switch
Switching EGS does not:
- Change your EDC or who restores power after an outage
- Eliminate delivery charges, regulatory riders, or state taxes on your bill
- Shield you from default rate increases if you switch back later
Your meter, billing platform, and outage reporting number stay with the EDC. ¹⁸, with full-service providers handling bundled service and other providers supplying only the energy portion.
Budget for the full bill: at Pennsylvania's average residential usage of 817 kWh and average price near 17.77¢/kWh all-in, ⁹—supply savings from a lower ¢/kWh rate apply only to the generation slice, not the entire total.
Red Flags and Consumer Protections
Beyond copycat websites, watch for:
- Rates above the Price to Compare at enrollment. ¹⁶, and reported that its residential shopping customers paid approximately $82 million more in net generation charges in 2025 than they would have on default service for the same energy volume—evidence that not every switch saves money.
- Slamming—being switched without consent. You should receive confirmation before any supplier change takes effect.
- Automatic renewal from a fixed contract to a variable rate without clear notice.
- Monthly fees that a flat ¢/kWh quote hides. At 1,000 kWh, a $9.95 monthly fee adds nearly 1¢/kWh to your effective price; at 500 kWh, it adds twice that.
The ¹⁴ of prices, contract terms, and generation attributes so customers can compare offers on equal footing—the same principle behind normalizing to 1,000 kWh.
Small Business and Commercial Customers
Commercial default service uses the same Price to Compare concept but different rate schedules. ⁶ ranged from about 10.993¢/kWh at West Penn Power to 12.931¢/kWh at Met-Ed—close to but not identical to residential benchmarks. Compare at 1,000 kWh for a small storefront with modest usage, but shift to your actual interval data once demand approaches 100 kW, where hourly default pricing may apply.
¹⁵ finds that commercial and industrial customers have generally paid less through competitive suppliers than through default service— unlike many residential accounts—because suppliers aggressively bid for larger loads. Still run the 1,000 kWh (or actual kWh) math before signing multi-year deals with early termination penalties.
A Decision Checklist Before You Switch
Work through these steps with your latest bill and PAPowerSwitch open:
- Confirm you are in a competitive EDC territory and not on a structure excluded from choice.
- Write down your current supply rate and the published Price to Compare.
- Estimate usage: twelve-month average kWh, not just one summer bill.
- Compare at 1,000 kWh and at your actual average.
- Add fees to any quote before comparing.
- Check the contract term, early termination fee, and renewal terms.
- Verify the supplier is licensed in Pennsylvania via PAPowerSwitch—not just a lead-generation website.
- Set a calendar reminder 30–60 days before your contract expires to re-shop.
If the best fixed offer saves only a dollar or two per month at your usage level, weigh that against cancellation risk and the time cost of switching. ¹⁵ is blunt: residential competitive supply has not consistently delivered lower prices than default service. Shopping still makes sense when you find a materially better fixed rate, want a specific renewable product, or value price certainty through a multi-year contract—but default service is a legitimate option, not a failure state.
When Default Service May Be the Better Call
Staying on default service is reasonable when:
- Every fixed offer at 1,000 kWh is above the Price to Compare once fees are included
- You are not willing to monitor a variable rate monthly
- You are about to move and would face early termination charges
- Wholesale prices are falling and the next default rate reset may drop the PTC below current supplier quotes
Default service rates reflect auction outcomes, not retail marketing margins. ¹⁹ describe overlapping twelve- and twenty-four-month wholesale contracts designed to reduce volatility—the same underlying market your retail supplier accesses, but with regulatory oversight rather than a sales commission attached.
The Bottom Line
Pennsylvania electric choice gives you a real option: shop the generation portion of your bill while your EDC keeps delivering power. The Price to Compare on PAPowerSwitch is your neutral benchmark. Normalizing offers to 1,000 kWh lets you translate ¢/kWh quotes into dollars you can line up against default service and against each other.
Run the math at 1,000 kWh, rerun it at your actual average usage, add any monthly fees, and read the contract fine print. Savings are there when the spread is wide enough—but a lower sticker rate is not a lower bill until you prove it on your usage, in your utility territory, against the Price to Compare that applies when you are ready to decide.