Educational Materials

  • Welcome to Customer Choice

    If you are visiting our website concerning the recently advertised customer shopping information, here are several items you will need to know.

    • Your price to compare, which is the current price you are billed by West Penn Power for electric generation, can be found on the first page of your monthly electric bill, in the message box labeled price to compare Message.
    • Your customer number, which you will need to sign up with any third party supplier, is located on page three of your monthly electric bill, under the heading Basic Charges.
    • In order to obtain a list of licensed electric suppliers, please visit papowerswitch.com.

    For additional information about electric competition, call our Retail Choice Center toll-free at 1-866-592-6171.

  • Basics of Electric Service

    With electric choice, consumers can select the company that generates the power they buy. Competition among electric generation suppliers may bring cost savings to consumers. To make the best choices, you'll need to understand the different services you use and pay for when you receive electricity. These services include the following:

    • Generation: electricity is produced, or generated, at a power plant, also called a generating station.
    • Transmission: electricity transmitted on high-voltage lines from the power plant to areas where it will be used.
    • Distribution: the electric distribution company, for instance West Penn Power, uses its wires, transformers, substations, and other equipment to deliver the electricity to homes and businesses.

    Some people compare this system to the way consumer products, such as clothing and furniture, move from manufacturers to customers. Power plants are like the manufacturing plants and the transmission system compares to the system of wholesalers who provide products to retailers. The distribution system would be the retail stores that deliver products to customers.

    Your electric generation supplier will charge for the cost of generating electricity. The supplier also will charge you for the cost of getting the energy to our wires. West Penn Power will charge you for the cost of delivering the electricity to you, as well as other costs, such as meter reading and billing.

    West Penn Power will continue to provide the same services we have in the past, except that you now will be able to decide who supplies your electric generation. We'll continue to maintain and operate our transmission and distribution system. In addition, we'll continue to supply electric generation to customers who do not choose another supplier, and we'll continue to read meters, bill customers, resolve complaints and restore service if an outage occurs.

    For additional information about electric competition, call our Retail Choice Center toll-free at 1-866-592-6171.

  • FAQs About the Pennsylvania Electric Choice Program
    • What Is The Pennsylvania Electric Choice Program?

      Now you can choose the company that supplies your electric generation supply - just as you can shop for other products and services. The Pennsylvania Electric Choice program provides information to help you make the decision that is right for you.

      Many things, including delivery, remain the same. For example, if you choose a new electric generation supplier, West Penn Power will continue to deliver the electric service to your home or business. And if your power goes out, you should still call West Penn Power.

      The most important benefit of electric choice is that it lets you shop for your electric generation supplier. This gives you the opportunity to choose a supplier based on what is important to you. For example, you might simply want the lowest price, so you would select the supplier with the lowest charge. Or, you might want to make a choice based on how the electric generation supply is produced.

    • How Do I Participate In The Pennsylvania Electric Choice Program?

      West Penn Power customers can participate in the Pennsylvania Electric Choice program by calling licensed electric generation suppliers serving their area. Customers should evaluate the suppliers' prices and options, prior to choosing a supplier.

    • How Do I Shop For Electricity?

      When shopping for electricity, start by looking at your current electric bill, which contains your 20-digit customer number, usage history and your price to compare. You'll need this information to compare prices when you contact licensed suppliers serving your area. You can save money if the supplier's price is less than your price to compare. If you select an alternative supplier, that supplier will notify us of the change. We will then send you a letter to make sure that you selected this company as your electric generation supplier.

    • What Is The Price To Compare?

      The price to compare is the average price your local electric distribution company charges for the portion of your electric service that is open to competition. The price to compare is given in cents per kilowatt-hour. The price includes both the cost of generation and the cost of transmitting power from the source of generation to West Penn Power distribution system. 

      Use this number to compare prices and potential savings among generation suppliers. You can save money if the supplier's price is less than your price to compare.

      West Penn Power customers can view our price to compare page or call the Retail Choice Center toll-free at 1-866-592-6171 to obtain their price to compare.

    • What Is The Eligible Customer List?

      According to state regulations, West Penn Power is required to release your name, address, account number and electric usage information to licensed generation suppliers unless you choose to restrict the release of your information. Suppliers are required to keep your information confidential, but they can use this information to offer you prices and services. If you do not wish to be included on this list, you can call our toll-free Customer Choice phone number, 1-800-545-7741, or submit the form online.

    • Will My Electric Service Be Less Reliable If I Participate In Pennsylvania's Electric Choice Program?

      No. Your participation in the Pennsylvania Electric Choice program will not affect the reliability of your electric service.

      West Penn Power will continue to be responsible for delivering power over their wires to all customers in their service areas, regardless of which electric generation supplier customers have chosen. This service will continue to be subject to regulation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PaPUC).

    • If I Choose Another Electric Generation Supplier, Will I Receive Two Electric Bills?

      West Penn Power customers who select an alternative electric generation supplier may have the option to choose to receive one or two bills for their electric service. In the single-bill option, customers will receive one bill that includes West Penn Power distribution charges and their electric generation supplier's charges. In the two-bill or dual bill option, customers will receive one bill from West Penn Power that reflects the distribution charges and one bill from their electric generation supplier that reflects the generation charges.

    • Am I Able To Remain On The Budget Program If I Select A Supplier?

      To remain eligible for the budget program, you must confirm with your supplier that you will receive a single rate-ready bill from your local electric distribution company.

    • Where Can I Get A List Of Licensed Suppliers?

      A list of licensed suppliers is available on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Choice website at papowerswitch.com.  Or you can request a list of licensed suppliers from one of our customer service representatives.

    • Whom Do I Call If My Power Goes Off?

      West Penn Power will be responsible for restoring your electric service during outages. Call the company toll-free at 1-800-545-7738 to report a power outage.

    • Whom Do I Call With Questions About My Electric Bill?

      Customers should call the Retail Choice Center at 1-866-592-6171 with questions about West Penn Power charges. Customers should call the supplier directly with questions about its charges. The supplier's phone number is listed on each customer's electric bill.

  • Pennsylvania Electric Choice Glossary

    Using different meanings for the same word can be confusing. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PaPUC) recognized that consumers need standard terms for electric customer choice, so the organization created a Glossary of Terms about electric competition.

    All electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers operating in Pennsylvania must use the words as defined in the glossary in all statements, bills, and advertisements.

  • Types of Electric Suppliers

    All businesses and residential customers in the West Penn Power service territories can shop for their electric generation supplier. The supplier you choose might be a firm located in Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the U.S. If you decide not to choose a supplier right away, West Penn Power will continue to supply your electricity until you do.

    The following are some of the types of electric generation suppliers. 

    • Aggregator - An entity, licensed by the PaPUC that purchases electric energy and takes title to electric energy as an intermediary for a large number of consumers and to bargain on their behalf for electricity and related services. The group "aggregates" or combines customers into one large customer for purposes of negotiation. It purchases the electricity as a single customer for the group.
    • Electric Generation Supplier - A person or corporation, generator, broker, marketer, aggregator or any other entity licensed by the PaPUC that sells electricity to customers, using the transmission or distribution facilities of an electric distribution company.
    • Investor Owned Utility - A utility company owned and operated by private investors.
    • Marketer - A company, licensed by the PaPUC that buys and resells electricity, but typically does not own generating facilities.

    Additional definitions can be found at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PaPUC) website.

    All electric generation suppliers must be licensed by the PaPUC, including municipalities and boroughs that want to provide service outside their municipal limits. Rural electric cooperatives must have a certificate to supply service outside their areas.

    All licensed suppliers will be required to furnish a bond that will ensure their financial responsibility and the supply of electricity to satisfy their contracts. Consumers who want to know if an electric supplier is licensed can check with the PaPUC or ask West Penn Power for the PaPUC's list of licensed suppliers.

    For additional information about electric competition, call the Retail Choice Center toll-free at 1-866-592-6171.

  • Pennsylvania Electric Competition Law

    Pennsylvania’s electric competition law provides that all consumers may choose their electric generation supplier. Consumers who do not choose another electric generation supplier will continue to have their electric generation supplied by their electric distribution company - such as West Penn Power. For information on Pennsylvania’s electric competition law, please visit the PaPUC website at http://www.puc.state.pa.us.

    For additional information about electric competition, call our Retail Choice Center toll-free at 1-866-592-6171.