Duquesne Light rates up 10% as statewide price hikes begin

By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive

Pennsylvania residents should brace for higher electric bills next month as temperatures drop and energy supply prices rise.

Beginning Dec. 1, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will adjust energy supply rates for all state-regulated electric utilities.

Duquesne Light services will increase by 10.6% and West Penn Power services will increase by 6.1%, according to the PUC.

“These seasonal changes matter: During the winter heating months, the cost of electricity can account for more than half of a typical customer bill,” a PUC news release said. Providers in the Greater Pittsburgh region affected by the change include Duquesne Light, which serves 812 square miles across Allegheny and Beaver counties, and West Penn Power, which serves Westmoreland, Washington, Somerset, Indiana, Fayette, Greene, Clarion, Bedford, Butler, Armstrong and parts of Allegheny County.