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Customers who use Penelec as their power generation supplier are paying more for their electricity.
Effective Sept. 1, the residential rate for electricity increased about 18.69% from 8.44 cents per kilowatt hour to 10.02 cents per kwh.
For the typical residential customer using 750 kwh of electricity per month, the monthly bill will rise from $120.03 to $131.87 for an overall bill increase of 9.86%, said Todd Meyers, spokesman for FirstEnergy Corp., Penelec's parent company.
Meyers said that roughly 50% of the Penelec electric bill is for the electricity itself (the price to compare that changes), and the other half is "for us to deliver power to homes and businesses through our wires (distribution rates that do not change quarterly.)"
"The price to compare continues to climb due largely to increases in the cost of natural gas and other commodities used as fuel to generate power. Penelec's PTC increase 1 also reflects reconciliation of some under-collected expenses in prior periods," Meyers said.
Pennsylvanians can choose their electricity supplier. For the Altoona area, there are 38 providers in addition to Penelec.
PAPowerSwitch.com said those range from American Power & Gas of Pennsylvania at 7.99 cents per kwh (variable rate) to New Wave Energy Corp. at 21 cents per kwh (variable rate).
Meanwhile, Kinect Energy is partnering with WGL Energy Services to provide electricity and natural gas to small business customers as part of its Chamber Choice program.
WGL Energy serves business and residential customers. The current rate being offered to residential customers is a two-year fixed rate of 11.19 cents per kwh.
Customers can secure the rate by going to the Blair chamber website and clicking on the icon for the Chamber Choice energy program or by visiting www.wglenergy.com/kinect.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.