Higher Electric Bills Could Scrooge Consumer Holiday Budgets
DLC Rate Hike Says Humbug to Customers in Pittsburgh
PHILADELPHIA, PA, UtilityRates.com wants to warn Duquesne Light Company customers on the Price to Compare rate now face paying 12% or more this winter on their average monthly electric bills. With DLC decking the halls with higher PTC rates, the outlook on the coming year for Pittsburgh power customers offers little reason for holiday merriment.
DLC raised its default rate for non-shopping customers by 10.6% on December 1. The hike pushes the average supply charge higher for households in Pittsburgh. Ratepayers could see these charges rise from $97.54 to $110.00 per month. Worse still, Pittsburgh consumers can expect to use more electricity this winter because NOAA is forecasting a colder, wetter season in Pennsylvania.
For many consumers in the Pittsburgh area, the threat of higher bills may Scrooge their holiday spirit and hum bug their gift shopping.
Duquesne Light Price to Compare - Historical Rates 2017-2026
Key Take Aways
- Starting in December, the monthly supply charge for an average home using 854 kWh will be about $110.00. That's roughly an increase of $12.46 compared to November.
- Because DLC customers typically use more power during the winter, monthly supply charges could increase by $10 or more.
- When combined with monthly DLC distribution charges, winter electric bills in Pittsburgh are likely to surpass $200 per month.
What DLC Customers Can Do
DLC customers are no stranger to their utility raising default electric prices. According to PA PUC filings, their price to compare doubled over the past decade, going from 6.7502 cents per kWh to the current 13.75 cents per kWh. That's an increase of 103.7%.
To find relief from these constantly rising rates, UtilityRates.com urges Pittsburgh customers to shop and compare retail electric suppliers to find the lowest-priced, fixed-rate plan available.
Choosing fixed-rate plans, especially 12-month or longer options, allows DLC households to lock in today's rate for a full year. That's important because new PTC rates kick in on June 1, 2026. These rates will include the PJM Capacity Auction rates and could lift monthly bills another 1.5%??"5%. Shopping plans now protects customers from both winter price spikes and next summer's possible increases.
But, if customers do nothing, their high DLC bills could haunt them like Jacob Marley's ghost.
"Another Duquesne PTC rate hike is something Pittsburgh consumers are understandably tired of," says Karl Trollinger, CEO of Electricity Ratings. "Even as Pennsylvania's energy market adapts to shifting supply and demand, customers still hold the ability to choose their electricity supplier. When they navigate big price swings like this, we can help them identify the best available plans."
Lastly, we want to remind PA electric consumers to install energy saving upgrades to their homes before the end of the year. Not only can improving a home's energy efficiency cut monthly electric bills but this will be the last time to apply for Energy Tax Credits. Electricity customers can qualify for tax credits up to 30% of the value of installing new energy efficient home improvements and appliances. But these must be completed before midnight, December 31, 2025.
About UtilityRates.com
UtilityRates.com is operated by Electricity Ratings, LLC.
Electricity Ratings, LLC operates a network of energy shopping websites serving 17 states and 56 utilities, providing our energy comparison and ratings service to over 130 million customers. We provide our customers with the power to choose the best providers through our consumer reviews platform which provides a reliable, unbiased source of valuable consumer insight. And we back that up by offering in-depth energy company service analysis, personalized recommendations, and practical advice. Our mission is to help consumers harness the power of information to find, compare, and buy electricity and energy services from the best providers.
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