Distribution Charges
All residential customers — regardless of whether you receive your electric supply from DLC or from an Electric Generation Supplier (EGS) — are responsible for paying Distribution Charges to DLC which consist of:
- Customer Charge: a monthly basic service charge that includes costs for meter reading, your billing, service equipment and other expenses. DLC incurs these expenses even in months when you may not use electricity.
- Energy Charge: a per kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge for delivering electricity over our distribution system to your home from the transmission system.
Supply and Transmission Charges
The Transmission Charge is the basic service charge for the cost of transporting high-voltage electricity from a supply facility to the distribution lines of an electric distribution company.
The Supply Charge is the basic service charge for the generation of electricity to you. If you elect to purchase your electric supply from DLC, you will be charged according to the residential rates as listed in the table below. This is also known as the default service rate or Price to Compare (PTC). The PTC consists of both Default Service Supply and Transmission Service Charges rates and is helpful when comparing offers from EGSs. All power generation costs are passed through directly to customers from these energy suppliers, meaning that DLC does not profit from electric generation.
To learn where you can find these charges on your monthly bill, view a sample bill.
Current and Upcoming Default Service Supply Rate ('Price to Compare')
Duquesne Light Company Class Average Price to Compare by Rate Class in Cents Per Kilowatt Hour
Scheduled rate changes can occur up to four times a year. The PTC may be higher or lower in future adjustments. Customers can choose their electric generation supplier or remain with the default rate. Learn how to participate in Electric Choice.
| Rate |
Name |
Description |
PTC
ACTUAL
09/25/2024 |
ptc
ACTUAL
12/01/2024 |
| RS |
Residential Service |
Duquesne Light's standard rate for most residential customers. Available to residential or combined residential and farm customers using the Company's standard low voltage service for lighting, appliance operation, and general household purposes and for commercial or professional activity where associated consumption represents less than 25% of the total monthly usage at the premise. |
11.85 |
10.85 |
| RH |
Residential Service Heating |
Available to residential or combined residential and farm customers using the Company's standard low voltage service for lighting, appliance operation, and general household purposes and for commercial or professional activity where associated consumption represents less than 25% of the total monthly usage at the premise, and as the sole primary method of space heating except that the space heating system may be supplemented with renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, wood or hydro. |
10.65 |
9.66 |
| RA |
Residential Service Add On Heat Pump |
Available to residential or combined residential and farm customers using the Company's standard low voltage service for lighting, appliance operation, and general household purposes and for commercial or professional activity where associated consumption represents less than 25% of the total monthly usage at the premise, and an add-on heat pump for space heating. |
11.29 |
10.29 |
If you elect to purchase your electric supply from DLC, you will be charged according to the residential rates (RS, RH, and RA) as found in Rider No. 8 – Default Service Supply (“DSS”) of the Company’s Retail Tariff. Additionally, if you select DLC to supply your electricity, we will provide and charge for transmission service. The Transmission Service Charges (“TSC”) can be found in Appendix A of the Retail Tariff.
If you elect to purchase your electric supply from an EGS, you must purchase both your electric supply and transmission service from your selected EGS and are responsible for any other charges from the EGS. Any month in which your supplier becomes unavailable or during which the you have not chosen a supplier, DLC will supply electricity as per the provisions of Rider No. 8 – Default Service Supply and Appendix A – Transmission Service Charges.
You may change suppliers or return to Duquesne Light for electric supply as defined in Rule No. 45 of the Company’s Retail Tariff.
To learn more about DLC's Residential Rates, please visit the Company’s Retail Tariff.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Electric Choice Program, visit www.papowerswitch.com.