The summer heat can be unbearable. But keeping your home cool and comfortable may be causing your electric bill to increase. With air conditioning, cooling equipment or dehumidifiers working overtime during extreme heat, it’s common to see spikes in your summer usage.
If your bill is higher this summer, it may be due to a combination of factors, including increased energy use during hot weather, changes in the price of electricity supply and the new distribution base rate that took effect July 1.
As your local electric company, we deliver electricity to your home, but we don’t own or operate the power plants where that electricity is generated. In Pennsylvania, you can shop for a third-party supplier based on price or other factors, or you’ll automatically pay the Price to Compare.
If you have a supplier, now is a good time to check the price you’re paying and use the Price to Compare as a benchmark. Many customers sign up with a supplier that initially offers a lower rate but lose track of contract terms or supplier notifications and end up shifting to a variable rate that is much higher than the Price to Compare.
In May, residential customers paying rates above the Price to Compare collectively paid about $7.2 million more than the default rate, while those paying below it saved approximately $2.3 million. These differences reflect the range of products and pricing options available in the competitive market.
With the cost of everyday essentials continuing to rise, every dollar counts. Taking a few minutes to review your options and regularly check the price you’re paying for supply can help you stay informed and avoid paying more than necessary.
5 ways to take control of your summer bill
- Track your energy use to stay informed. Even small energy-saving changes can make a big impact.
- Review your supply price and compare offers from third-party suppliers at papowerswitch.com.
- Sign up for PPL Alerts to receive Price to Compare notifications, bill due reminders and more.
- Enroll in Budget Billing to even out the seasonal swings in your bill and make your monthly payments more predictable.
- Check out our Bill Toolkit at pplelectric.com/toolkit for a comprehensive list of simple tools and support to help make your bill more affordable.
PPL rates continue to climb… supply also increased. No other reason.
i like the use breakdown i get from PPL every month before i get your bill—seeing what i am using electricity for is a clue as to where i can reduce my costs
I have a working Dehumidifier that I would like u to pick up. We’ve had an PPL account for many years. Can u schedule to pick it up?
Thanks
Hello Thomas, you can find about scheduling appliance pick-up here: https://www.pplelectricsavings.com/ppl/appliance/recycling/schedule-appliance-pickup/
Utility bills are very similar to health care charges in that the end consumer is the least likely to have the necessary market information to make the right choices. The over payments quoted here made by so-called power switch plans proves the point.
I have never used less energy, than I do now. I have even given up using my central air. For example, my kilowatts was less last month than the month prior and my bill is more. It is out of control what is going on and the data centers coming in are making our energy situation worse. I do not understand why PPL takes advantages of its customer base
Agree, but it is not only our energy provider.
My PPL bill has increased tremendously without any changes at home since November 2025. I have been paying around $400 each month since then. Can it be handled I am a well established old customer of PPL services.
Good afternoon, Gurjeet. If you have a web profile set up for your account, please sign in and view your daily & hourly usage online under http://www.pplelectric.com/analyze. You will see what time of day your usage is highest and can make lifestyle adjustments to lower your usage.
Review tips to save energy and money under http://www.savewithppl.com. We also offer a FREE Virtual Home Energy Assessment that includes a phone consultation with a trained Energy Advisor, energy efficiency recommendations specific to your home and a free personalized energy savings kit. For more information and to set up an appointment, visit http://www.pplelectric.com/virtualassessment.
Apply for assistance programs online under http://www.pplelectric.com/billhelp. Read more about lowering your bill by shopping for a generation supplier at a lower rate under http://www.pplelectric.com/shopping.
We have an Energy Education team available weekdays 8am-5pm to discuss your usage concerns at 1-800-342-5775 (say Energy Education). Thank you.
Are you kidding me????
We are the most conservative electricity users in our small townhouse community. We keep our air conditioning at the setting of 78 or 79 degrees, while those around us keep theirs at 75 to 74 degrees or LOWER during these 90+ degree days. We do not see any significant decrease in our billing compared to other households.Of course we have also taken into account ALL the remaining uses of electricity in our home in this comparison with other households. Try and explain this!
Hello. If you have a web profile set up for your account, please sign in and view your daily & hourly usage online under http://www.pplelectric.com/analyze. You will see what time of day your usage is highest and can make lifestyle adjustments to lower your usage.
Review tips to save energy and money under http://www.savewithppl.com. We also offer a FREE Virtual Home Energy Assessment that includes a phone consultation with a trained Energy Advisor, energy efficiency recommendations specific to your home and a free personalized energy savings kit. For more information and to set up an appointment, visit http://www.pplelectric.com/virtualassessment.
Apply for assistance programs online under http://www.pplelectric.com/billhelp. Read more about lowering your bill by shopping for a generation supplier at a lower rate under http://www.pplelectric.com/shopping.
We have an Energy Education team available weekdays 8am-5pm to discuss your usage concerns at 1-800-342-5775 (say Energy Education). Thank you.
Danielle: PP&L takes advantage of its customer base because we do not have public power. PP&L has to pay its stockholders, so the customer base gets gouged accordingly. Maybe if we all take advantage of the solar option PP&L will have less $ to pay their greedy stockholders.
Good morning, EK. If you would like more information about solar, feel free to email or Renewable Energy department any time @ EUsolarpower@pplweb.com. Thank you.
Price to compare in my location is a joke right now. The supplier charges are now more than PPL. Many are charging extra fees now. They charge a monthly fee on top of their charges per kWh. We are told to compare and their are no good
Alternatives to PPL.
Hello, Jean. PPL shops so that customers do not have to. Every 6 months we get the lowest price we can. That is what our Price to Compare is. It is driven by what suppliers are offering. We understand that it is difficult to find lower rates currently. Our Price to Compare has no contracts or cancelation fees, so if you do find a lower rate with a supplier you can enroll with them any time. Also, if you cancel your supplier, you are automatically covered by the Price to Compare until you enroll with another. You will never be without electricity because you don’t have a supplier. The current Price to Compare is good through the end of November, we will have to shop again for a new rate effective 12/1/26.
Please explain why the appliance for pick up must be in working order? I’m not looking for money for them, I just want them recycled. If you don’t want people using them and don’t want them in a landfill why must they work?
Good morning, Gloria. If you have any questions about the recycling program, please contact them directly at 1-877-486-9204. Their hours are 8AM-6PM M-F. Thank you.
I’m a 64 year old disabled man that i need a nebulizer wen the wether gets hot and I asked to be put in a boyet and that want to give me a boyet bigger than my bill đź’¸
Hello, David. If you are referring to the Budget Billing Program, it is not meant to save money. It is meant to even out your bill, so you don’t have large seasonal swings. Sometimes the budget is less than your actual charges and sometimes it is more. At the end of the 12-month period, your budget is settled. If it is ahead, that amount is deducted from your bill. If it is behind, we automatically set you up on an arrangement, so you don’t have to pay it all at once. If you have specific issues with your account, please contact us @ 800-342-5775 so that we can discuss them with you.
I’ve adjusted the air flow of my vents, setting them to what is recommended. My filters are changed, so that the air flow is even and hopefully consistent.
I tried to sign up for Budget Billing that you offered in this email.
However, I keep getting this message for days:
Oops. There’s been an error…
There’s been an error or this service is currently unavailable
Please sign out, clear your browser’s cookies/history, close your web browser and try again. You can also try a different browser.
I tried all of these suggestions, but to no avail.
Is the budget billing available or not? Please let me know.
Good morning, John. We are not currently experiencing any issues with our website or app. If it not allowing you to enroll in Budget Billing, you may need to speak with a representative. Please call us at 1-800-243-5775 and say, “Budget Billing”, a representative will be more than happy to assist you.