April A Bad Month For Pennsylvania Residential Shopping, State Sees First Net Decline Of 2017, 5 of 7 Large EDCs See Losses

In April, Pennsylvania recorded its first monthly net decline in the number of residential customers on competitive supply during 2017, according to the latest stats from the Pennsylvania PUC

From late March 2017 to late April 2017 (reporting date varies slightly by utility), Pennsylvania saw the aggregate number of electric customers on competitive supply decrease by 1,800 accounts, compared to an increase of nearly 3,000 accounts from late February 2017 to late March 2017

Notably, PECO, which has not recorded a net monthly decline in the number of residential customers on competitive supply since July 2014, saw a net decline of over 1,000 residential customers on competitive supply from late March 2017 to late April 2017

PPL, Duquesne Light, Penn Power, and West Penn Power also saw net declines in residential shopping from late March 2017 to late April 2017

PPL, which has not seen a net monthly increase in the number of residential customers on competitive supply since October 2015, and which has generally seen declining default service rates over the same period, will see a 14% increase in its Price to Compare on June 1 (see story here)

Meanwhile, PECO will see its residential Price to Compare fall on June 1 (see story here)

The PA Power Switch stats now include data for Citizens' Electric Company and Wellsboro Electric Company. Notably, at Citizens' Electric, the stats show 12 residential accounts on competitive supply (Citizens' Electric has had a steady count of 12 residential accounts on competitive supply since 2015, with a smaller number of migrated residential accounts also dating back to 2014). It is not clear if these accounts are true residential customers, or incidental accounts associated with a non-residential customer served under a residential rate classification.

The change in the number of residential customers on competitive supply at each large utility from late March 2017 to late April 2017 (reporting date varies slightly by utility) was:

Duquesne Light        (448)
Met-Ed                 526
PECO                (1,137)
Penelec                810
Penn Power            (153)
PPL                 (1,394)
West Penn Power        (10)

For comparison, the change in the number of residential customers on competitive supply at each utility from late February 2017 to late March 2017 (reporting date varies slightly by utility) had been:

Duquesne Light        (221)
Met-Ed               1,747
PECO                 1,197
Penelec                591
Penn Power             782
PPL                 (1,886)
West Penn Power        822