Members of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Southeast Delegation today wrote to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to express their strong opposition to proposed gas and electric rate hikes by PECO, according to state Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, the delegation chair.
PECO last week filed a request with the PUC to significantly increase gas and electric rates beginning next year. On average, these rate hikes would cost families an additional $20.08 per month for electricity and $14.52 per month for natural gas.
In the joint letter to PUC Chair Steve DeFrank, the legislators spelled out their concerns that “PECO’s habitual requests for rate increases over the last few years are excessive, and that this rate increase in particular will benefit for-profit large load users at the expense of Pennsylvania’s long standing residential customers and small businesses.
“Many of those who live and work in Southeast counties are concerned about the significant financial hardships that the proposed rate increase would create, given that, if approved, this would be PECO’s third rate hike since 2022,” the letter continued.
The Democratic Southeast Delegation includes House members from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
In addition to urging the PUC to reject the rate increases, the delegation members asked the commission to hold four public hearings on the proposals, one in each of Philadelphia’s collar counties.
“Holding local hearings will allow for greater accessibility and transparency for our constituents, who deserve to be a part of this process,” the legislators wrote.
Credit: Jeff Bohen, Lower Bucks Source
Bucks County Republican lawmakers voiced their concerns earlier this week in a letter sent April 2 to PECO officials. The legislators emphasized that any further increases would negatively impact ratepayers and urged PECO to meet with them to discuss their concerns directly.
Hours after PECO announced its plan to seek energy rate hikes a contingent of Bucks County Democratic lawmakers said “Families across Pennsylvania are already stretched thin… Asking them to shoulder yet another double-digit utility increase is simply unacceptable.”
Owned by Chicago-based Exelon Corp., PECO said it is seeking $429 million for electric system investments and $81 million for its natural gas network which will come, officials said, from rate increases.
Credit: Lower Bucks Hospital
PECO provides services to 1.7 million electric and 553,000 natural gas customers in the Philadelphia region, according to company records.
The utility implemented rate increases at the beginning of 2025, with electric costs increasing by 10 percent and natural gas by 12.5 percent.
The rate hike filing comes after PECO reported an $814 million profit in 2025.
With both mainstream political parties agreeing in principle that the proposed increase in rates right now is a bad idea, perhaps PECO will be forced to reconsider.
Customers who want to file a formal complaint regarding the proposed rate hike can do so on the PUC website by clicking here.
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