PECO files rate case with PUC; consumers may benefit

PHILADELPHIA » In a filing recently completed by PECO, the company requested Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approval of an increase in the rates charged to customers for the delivery of electricity. In the same filing is PECO’s proposed plan to provide annual tax savings to more than 1.6 million customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. Based on the company’s $82-million rate request, overall energy delivery rates would increase by about 2.2 percent over current rates, beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Specifically, the total monthly bill for a typical residential electric customer using about 700 kilowatt hours of electricity would increase by about $3.28, or 3.2 percent.

The new electric delivery rate will provide funding for enhancements to PECO’s electric distribution system and services, including infrastructure and technology upgrades that will:

• Help PECO maintain its record-breaking safety and service reliability by strengthening the system against weather and other hazards;

• Support innovative online and mobile tools that make it easier for customers to manage energy use, pay bills, use customer-generated energy sources and more.

• Encourage economic development and environmental stewardship in our service territory.

The tax savings result from federal income tax reductions under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. PECO is seeking PUC approval to pass the full benefit of the Act onto customers, including an estimated $68 million for 2018, that would offset the proposed rate increase.

“Our commitment to reliability is fundamental to the work that we do,” said Mike Innocenzo, PECO senior vice president and COO. “That commitment requires that we invest in our electric delivery system to prevent outages, reduce the duration of outages and to prepare for the future energy needs of our customers.”

Based on the rate increase, alone, bills for a typical small business customer would increase by about $11.06 per month (approximately 1.3 percent), and monthly bills for a typical large business customer would increase by about $168.99 (approximately 1 percent). However, these bill increases could be largely offset by the 2018 tax savings that will be passed onto customers.