Press Release

PUC Marks 20th Anniversary of Electric Competition in PA; New Survey Shows High Levels of Customer Awareness and Satisfaction with Electric Choice, Touts 14 Consecutive Months of Growth, Announces Upgrades to Electric Shopping Website PAPowerSwitch

Published on 12/8/2016

Filed under: Electric

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today commemorated the 20^th Anniversary of The Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act of 1996, which for the first time gave the Commonwealth’s residential and business customers the ability to choose who supplies their electric generation.  The PUC made a number of announcements related to electric shopping in Pennsylvania.

“For two decades, Pennsylvania has stood on the national forefront of electric competition, putting the power of choice in the hands of consumers and giving them greater control of their electric bills,” said PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown.  “As a result of this historic legislation, millions of electricity customers have made choices and saved money, purchased renewable products and explored innovative new offers and plans.”

Current and past state leaders, legislative and agency staff, consumer advocates and industry leaders joined current and former PUC Commissioners to mark the electric choice milestone following the Commission’s regularly scheduled public meeting.  Highlighting the ceremony were messages from both current Gov. Tom Wolf, who proclaimed electric competition as an example of “Government That Works,” and former Gov. Tom Ridge, who signed the bill into law on Dec. 3, 1996.

During her remarks Chairman Brown unveiled the results of a recent Commission survey showing that almost all respondents (94 percent) are aware that they have the ability to shop for their own electric provider, and of those who know they have the ability to switch electric providers, four out of 10 consumers state that they have switched electric providers.

Other key findings of the survey include:

• Over three-quarters of consumers who have switched electric providers state that the process of switching was very/extremely easy.


• The largest motivating factor behind switching electric providers is to lower monthly electricity bills, with the 45 to 64 age group being more likely to say that reduced costs are primary factors, more so than the 18 to 44 and 65-plus age groups.


• Over half of the respondents who have not switched electric providers say this is due to them being happy with their current electric provider, with the 65-plus age group more likely to say that is a major factor, as compared to the 18 to 44 and 45 to 64 age groups. 


• PAPowerSwitch.com, the PUC’s neutral source for power shopping information, is a trusted resource to which respondents turn for information about electric providers, and it will be an educational and helpful resource in the future when making electric provider decisions.

Of the consumers who visit PAPowerSwitch.com: 

• Ninety percent somewhat/strongly agree that the website provides helpful information.


• Eighty-seven percent are very/extremely satisfied.


• Seventy percent say that the website is very/extremely easy to navigate. 

The PUC also today announced upgrades to PAPowerSwitch to make the site fully responsive no matter what kind or size of device they use, with updated cleaner and easier navigation; a more attention-grabbing way for visitors to learn more about individual offers on the shopping pages; consolidated pages; and enhanced security.  Over the last two years, nearly 1.9 million visitors have shopped for electric supply offers using PAPowerSwitch.

Chairman Brown pointed to the Commonwealth’s competitive electric market experiencing 14 consecutive months of sustained growth since early last fall.  As of the end of November, nearly 2.1 million Pennsylvania electricity customers (or 36.9 percent) currently receive their electric generation from a competitive supplier.  The November 2016 figure reflects a 3.5 percent increase in the total number of shoppers from September 2015, when the statewide monthly shopping number last dropped.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility.  “Like” Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Facebook for easy access to information on utility issues.

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Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov