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Bad news for Pennsylvanians: Heating costs are expected to skyrocket this winter season

All Pennsylvania-regulated electric utilities are adjusting their price to compare for residential non-shopping customers.
Credit: WPMT

YORK, Pa. — The price of energy across Pennsylvania increases today.

“Whether it’s the electricity that comes into your home and business or is the monthly gas that you use on a natural basis," said Nils Hagen-Frederiksen with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

All Pennsylvania-regulated electric utilities are adjusting their prices to compare for residential non-shopping customers. The price to compare averages between 40% to 60% of the customer’s total utility bill.

Met-Ed was one of the companies that made changes to their price to compare.

"It went from 9.7 cents a kilowatt hour to about 10.3 cents a kilowatt hour. That’s about a 9% increase," said Todd Meyers with Met-Ed. 

The reason behind the increase in prices is demand. 

“For the last year plus, not only Pennsylvania, or nationwide, but a global demand for every form of energy [has increased], that is driving up the price of energy and driving up the price of everything that uses fuel to make energy," said Hagen-Frederiksen

There are steps that customers can take to moderate their usage so they can save money during the cold winter months. 

“Every degree that thermostat goes up, you’re using about 3% more electricity, so if you’re going to turn that thermostat down, you can save that much. Basically, turning [the thermostat] down 3 degrees you can save close to 10% on your energy bill," said Meyers. 

Lower-rate programs are also available for those who are struggling to pay their bill. Additional resources can be found here and here

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