PECO Complete Guide to Philadelphia Electricity Rates, Service Area, and Energy Choice

PECO (formerly Philadelphia Electric Company) is the largest electric utility in Pennsylvania, serving approximately 1.7 million electricity customers across southeastern Pennsylvania. Key facts about PECO:

• Parent company: Exelon Corporation
• Service area: Southeastern Pennsylvania
• History: Serving the Philadelphia region for over 140 years
• Gas service: Also serves ~545,000 natural gas customers

How PECO works: PECO delivers electricity through its distribution network but does not generate power—customers receive supply either through PECO's default service or from competitive electricity suppliers. Regulation: Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC) oversight 💡 Energy choice: PECO participates in Pennsylvania's electricity choice program, allowing customers to choose their generation supplier while PECO handles delivery, billing, and emergency response.

PECO's electricity service territory covers southeastern Pennsylvania, centered on the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Counties served:

• Philadelphia County: City of Philadelphia
• Bucks County: Doylestown, Bristol, Newtown
• Montgomery County: Norristown, King of Prussia, Lansdale
• Delaware County: Media, Upper Darby, Chester
• Chester County (portions): West Chester and surrounding areas

Service area scope:

• Approximately 2,100 square miles
• Urban Philadelphia, historic suburbs, and growing exurban communities
• Residential, commercial, and industrial customers

💡 Energy choice access: All residential customers in PECO territory can compare supplier offers through PA Power Switch.

The PECO Price to Compare (PTC) represents the generation and transmission portion of your bill when using PECO's default supply service. Current rate (December 2025):

• Residential PTC: 11.02 cents per kWh
• Effective through May 31, 2026

What the PTC includes:

• Generation charges
• Transmission costs
• Pennsylvania Gross Receipts Tax
• Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards compliance costs

Rate update schedule: Quarterly on March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1 Recent rate history:

• Early 2024: 8.92¢/kWh
• Late 2025: Over 11¢/kWh
• Driver: PJM capacity market cost increases

💡 To save: Look for supplier rates below the current PTC for immediate savings on generation charges.

PECO customers have experienced substantial rate increases since 2024, with the Price to Compare rising from under 9 cents to over 11 cents per kWh. The primary driver: PJM Capacity Market The PJM capacity market sets prices for ensuring adequate power plant availability across the mid-Atlantic region. What happened in June 2024:

• PJM capacity auction prices surged 833%
• Jumped from ~$29 to nearly $270 per megawatt-day

Why prices surged:

• Power plant retirements
• Rising electricity demand from data centers
• Transmission constraints

Impact on your bill:

• PECO passes wholesale costs through quarterly PTC adjustments
• December 2025 rate increase: 7.7%

💡 How to protect yourself: Competitive suppliers face the same wholesale costs but may offer rate stability through fixed-price contracts.

Pennsylvania electricity choice allows PECO customers to purchase generation from competitive suppliers while PECO continues delivering power. How to switch suppliers:

1. Find your current PTC: Check your PECO bill or PECO.com
2. Compare offers: Use PAPowerSwitch.com or ElectricRates.org
3. Filter options: Rate type (fixed/variable), contract term, renewable content
4. Enroll with supplier: They handle the switch

Why use ElectricRates.org:

• Automatically calculates savings against your current PTC
• PECO customers save an average of $521* per year

What to expect:

• Switching takes 1-2 billing cycles
• No service interruption
• No fees for switching
• Return to default service anytime

💡 What stays the same: Your delivery service, outage response, and billing remain unchanged—only the generation portion of your bill changes.

PECO bills contain distinct charge categories that affect your total cost. Main charge categories:

• Generation charges: Electricity supply—either PECO's PTC or your competitive supplier's rate
• Transmission charges: Moving power from generators to PECO's local network
• Distribution charges: Local power lines, transformers, meters, grid maintenance (stays with PECO regardless of supplier)
• Customer charge: Fixed monthly fee
• Riders/adjustments: Energy efficiency, smart meter deployment, regulatory compliance

Key information on your bill:

• Usage displayed in kilowatt-hours (kWh)
• Enables direct rate comparisons with suppliers

With a competitive supplier:

• Supplier charges replace PECO's generation charge
• PECO continues sending consolidated bills
• PECO maintains your account

PECO handles all power outages in its service territory regardless of your electricity supplier. How to report an outage:

• Online: PECO.com
• Mobile app: PECO app
• Phone: 📞 1-800-841-4141

Outage tracking: PECO's outage map displays affected areas with estimated restoration times and crew locations. Grid reliability investments:

• Over $300 million annually in grid reliability
• Underground cable replacement
• Smart grid technology
• Vegetation management
• Approximately 24,000 miles of power lines maintained

Major storm response: PECO coordinates mutual aid with other utilities for extended outages. 💡 Important: Your supplier choice never affects outage response—PECO crews respond to all customers equally. 🚨 Emergency: Report downed power lines and electrical emergencies immediately for safety prioritization.

PECO offers multiple assistance programs for customers struggling with bills. Assistance programs:

• LIHEAP: Federally-funded bill payment assistance through PA Department of Human Services
• Customer Assistance Program (CAP): Reduced rates for qualifying low-income households
• Matching Energy Assistance Fund (MEAF): Emergency assistance using donations and PECO contributions

Payment options:

• Budget Billing: Spreads annual costs into equal monthly payments, eliminating seasonal bill spikes
• Payment extensions: Available by contacting customer service
• Installment plans: Available for customers needing flexibility

📞 Customer service: 1-800-494-4000 Disconnection protections:

• Cold weather shutoff protection: December 1 through March 31 for income-eligible customers
• Medical certificates: Additional disconnection protection available

PECO customers can access renewable energy through multiple pathways. Renewable energy options:

• Competitive suppliers: Many on PA Power Switch offer 100% renewable plans (wind, solar, hydroelectric)
• PECO Green Region: Purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) supporting regional clean energy
• Community solar: Subscribe to local solar projects and receive bill credits without installing panels

Philadelphia area initiatives:

• Municipal buildings increasingly use renewable energy
• Some neighborhoods offer bulk purchasing programs for solar installations

💡 When evaluating green energy:

• Compare the price premium against PECO's standard PTC
• Verify renewable content claims through supplier documentation

Beyond switching suppliers, PECO customers can reduce bills through efficiency measures. PECO programs:

• Home energy assessments
• Appliance rebates
• Weatherization assistance for qualifying households

Energy efficiency tips:

• Smart thermostats: Reduce heating/cooling costs by 10-15%
• LED lighting: Uses 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs
• Air sealing: Seal leaks around windows and doors (especially important in Philadelphia's older housing stock)
• Time-of-use rates: May benefit customers who can shift usage to off-peak hours

Supplier shopping tips:

• Compare offers at least twice yearly—market rates change frequently
• As of late 2025, competitive suppliers offer rates as low as 7.7¢/kWh (over 25% below PECO's PTC)
• Use PAPowerSwitch.com to verify your rate remains competitive