PA PUC Consumer Rights: Pennsylvania Electric Guide 2026

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC) is the state agency responsible for regulating utility services throughout the Commonwealth. They oversee approximately 7,000 entities covering electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, water, and wastewater.

On the electricity side, the PA PUC regulates all major utilities including PECO, PPL Electric, Duquesne Light, and FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania companies like Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power.

One of their most important jobs is licensing all Electric Generation Suppliers (EGS) operating in Pennsylvania. They make sure suppliers meet financial and operational requirements before they can sell you electricity.

If you ever need to reach them, call 1-800-692-7380 or write to 400 North Street, Keystone Building, Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania deregulated its electricity market back in 1996 through the Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act. How it works: you can choose your Electric Generation Supplier (EGS) while your local utility continues delivering power through existing infrastructure.

Your electric bill breaks into two parts. The generation or supply charges are what you shop for, and the distribution or delivery charges stay fixed by your utility.

When you pick a competitive supplier, only the generation portion changes. Your utility still handles meter reading, billing, outages, and power line maintenance. Nothing changes about your actual service.

If you don't choose a supplier, you receive electricity at your utility's "Price to Compare" rate, which is the default option. Over 3 million Pennsylvania households have already exercised their choice to select competitive suppliers.

When you run into problems with your utility or supplier, the PA PUC recommends starting with an informal complaint. Their Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) handles billing disputes, service quality issues, payment arrangement requests, and supplier problems.

Before filing, you must first contact your utility or supplier directly to try resolving the issue. If that doesn't work, file your complaint within 10 days of getting an unsatisfactory response. This timeline matters because it protects your service during the dispute.

You can file online at puc.pa.gov, by phone at 1-800-692-7380, or by mail to PA PUC Bureau of Consumer Services, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Make sure you include your account number, company name, and a detailed description of what went wrong.

Once you file, a BCS investigator works with both you and the company to hash things out. Most informal complaints get resolved faster than formal proceedings, so it's worth starting here.

If informal resolution fails or you're challenging a utility rate increase, you may need to file a formal complaint with the PA PUC. This kicks off legal proceedings before a PUC Administrative Law Judge.

Fair warning: you bear the burden of proving your complaint has merit. You'll present evidence at hearings, the judge issues an Initial Decision, and either party can appeal to the full Commission. It's more involved than the informal process.

You can find the required forms at puc.pa.gov under Filing Resources. There's even a special form specifically for variable rate complaints against electricity suppliers.

Formal complaints take longer than informal ones and require more documentation, but they provide a legal venue for complex disputes. If you're dealing with significant amounts or complicated utility rate cases, consider consulting an attorney.

All Electric Generation Suppliers (EGS) must obtain licenses from the PA PUC before selling electricity to Pennsylvania consumers. This isn't optional, and you should always verify before signing up with anyone.

To check a supplier's license, visit puc.pa.gov and navigate to the Licensed Suppliers list under the Electricity section. The list gets updated regularly as license statuses change.

An even easier option is to use PAPowerSwitch.com, Pennsylvania's official shopping website. It only displays licensed suppliers, so if a company appears there, you know they're legitimate.

Before signing any contract, confirm the company name on your paperwork matches a licensed EGS. If a company claims to be a supplier but doesn't appear on the PA PUC licensed list, don't enroll and report them to the commission. Unlicensed suppliers can't legally sell electricity in Pennsylvania and provide no regulatory recourse if problems come up.

Pennsylvania law gives electricity consumers strong protections that have teeth. Suppliers must clearly disclose rates, contract length, early termination fees, and whether rates are fixed or variable. No hiding things in the fine print.

You've got a 3-day cooling-off period to cancel door-to-door sales contracts without penalty. You're protected from slamming (when suppliers switch you without consent) and cramming (adding unauthorized charges to your bill). You can also restrict how your personal information gets shared with third parties.

On the shutoff side, utilities must give you written notice at least 10 days before disconnection. They can't terminate your service on Fridays, weekends, or holidays without giving you a payment opportunity. And if you have life support equipment or a serious medical condition, a medical certificate can postpone shutoffs.

These protections are enforced by the PA PUC through their complaint and enforcement process.

Pennsylvania implemented specific protections for variable rate plan consumers after many people got burned by dramatic rate increases. Suppliers must clearly disclose when rates are variable, explain that rates can change monthly, and provide notice before significant rate increases.

If you're on a variable rate plan and got hit with an unexpected spike, the PA PUC has a dedicated formal complaint form specifically for disputing variable rate increases. You can file if the rate increased unfairly or if your supplier failed to disclose the variable nature of your plan.

Here's the difference: fixed-rate plans give you predictability since your rate per kWh stays constant throughout the contract. Variable-rate plans can change monthly and sometimes change dramatically.

When shopping on PAPowerSwitch.com, carefully note whether plans are fixed or variable before enrolling. Many consumer complaints stem from unexpected variable rate increases, so knowing what you're signing up for matters.

Pennsylvania law provides strong protections against utility service termination. Utilities must give you at least 10 days written notice before disconnection. That notice has to explain why service will be terminated, how much you owe, and what you can do to avoid shutoff.

Utilities cannot disconnect your service on Fridays, weekends, state holidays, or days when their office is closed. This gives you time to work things out.

There are special protections too. Low-income customers get additional protections during winter months. Medical certificates can postpone shutoffs if you have a condition requiring electric-powered equipment. And you can arrange payment agreements to pay overdue balances over time while keeping your service on.

If you receive a shutoff notice, contact your utility immediately to discuss your options. If you're facing imminent disconnection, file an informal complaint with the PA PUC within 10 days to maintain service while they investigate the dispute.

The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) represents residential and small business utility consumers in proceedings before the PA PUC. They're different from the PUC itself. While the PA PUC regulates utilities and resolves individual complaints, the OCA advocates specifically for consumers' interests in rate cases and policy decisions.

What does the OCA do for you? They fight against unreasonable utility rate increases, push for stronger consumer protections, and provide educational resources about utility shopping. They maintain a comparison shopping guide, monitor electricity market conditions, and represent consumer interests free of charge in major utility proceedings.

The OCA has been advocating for Pennsylvania consumers since 1976, so they've got deep experience with these issues.

You can reach them at 1-800-684-6560 or visit oca.pa.gov. They can help you understand your bills, compare suppliers, and learn about your rights.

The PA PUC provides extensive resources for Pennsylvania electricity consumers. PAPowerSwitch.com is their official comparison shopping website listing all licensed supplier offers. The main puc.pa.gov site has consumer guides, complaint forms, licensed supplier lists, and utility contact information.

To reach the PA PUC, call their consumer hotline at 1-800-692-7380 Monday through Friday. You can also write to PA Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Consumer Services, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

For additional help, the Office of Consumer Advocate is available at 1-800-684-6560.

For emergencies like downed power lines, contact your local utility using the emergency number on your bill.