Area electricity bills to go up between 7 and 13 percent

Apr 9 - McClatchy-Tribune Content Agency, LLC - Keith Gushard The Meadville Tribune, Pa.

 

Customers of both Pennsylvania Power Co. and Pennsylvania Electric Co. will pay more for electricity starting next month.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission today unanimously approved settlements for lower rate increases than originally requested by FirstEnergy Corp. for its four Pennsylvania subsidiaries: Pennsylvania Power Co. (Penn Power), Pennsylvania Electric Co. (Penelec), West Penn Power Co. (West Penn Power) and Metropolitan Edison Co. (Met-Ed). Penelec and Penn Power each have customers in Crawford County.

The rate increases impact the cost to deliver electricity service to homes and businesses, which makes up about one-third of a customer's bill, according to the PUC. The increases in the base distribution rates are effective May 19 and are the first for each of the four subsidiaries in 20 years or more, according to the PUC.

Under the Penelec settlement, the average Penelec residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month will pay $15.76 more a month, going from $120.46 to $136.22, or 13.1 percent more. Penelec serves about 1.2 million customers in 32 counties. It's the company's first base distribution rate increase request in 29 years, according to the PUC.

Under the Penn Power settlement, the average Penn Power residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will pay $7.80 more a month, going from $104.76 to $112.56, or 7.4 percent more. Penn Power serves about 335,000 customers in seven counties. It's the company's first base distribution rate increase request in 26 years, according to the PUC.

According to the settlements, annual base rate distribution revenues will increase by $17 million (5.2 percent) for Penn Power, by $59.9 million (4.4 percent) for West Penn Power, by $91.3 million (6.6 percent) for Penelec and by $90 million (6.8 percent) for Met-Ed.

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