PPL Sees Large Spike in Residential Shopping Growth, Driven by Referral Program

PPL saw the weekly growth of residential migration to competitive electric supply increase by nearly a factor of four in the most recent week, buoyed by enrollments under its Standard Offer referral program.

As exclusively reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com (click here), PPL reported that residential enrollments during the first week of its Standard Offer referral program, which launched August 1, were about 500 per day. Although the precise alignment of such enrollments with the period covered by the most recent migration report is unclear, the presence of the referral program migration is driving a large part of PPL's residential shopping growth.

Specifically, from August 10 to August 16, PPL saw residential migration to competitive electric supply increase by over 2,500 accounts, up from the week-ago growth of 671 accounts.

Weekly migration growth was significantly higher at Met-Ed, Penelec, and West Penn Power as well, also driven by the Standard Offer referral program (see specific growth data below). See prior story for enrollment details on the FirstEnergy EDCs' referral programs

Statewide, from about August 15 to August 21 (reporting date varies slightly by utility), Pennsylvania saw residential electric shopping increase by an aggregate of 4,100 accounts, versus the week-ago growth of 600 accounts.

Both Duquesne Light and PECO continue to see a weekly decline in the number of residential customers on competitive supply, however. Each of these utility's Standard Offer referral program has been in place for less than one week.

Specifically, from about August 15 to August 21 (report date varies slightly by utility), the weekly growth (loss) in residential electric customers on competitive supply at each EDC was:

Duquesne Light         (554)
Met-Ed                1,070
PECO                   (344)
Penelec                 643
Penn Power              203
PPL                   2,563
West Penn Power         528

Link to 8/21 Weekly Migration Report

Link to Matters' comparison of 8/14 stats and 8/21 stats