What Does Price to Compare Mean on a Duquesne Light Bill?

The price to compare is a benchmark figure that appears on a Duquesne Light Company bill, representing the default service supply rate charged to customers who have not selected a competitive electric generation supplier. This figure is designed to give customers a reference point: it reflects what Duquesne Light Company itself charges for the supply portion of electricity service. Because Pennsylvania operates a competitive retail electricity market, this benchmark exists so that residents can weigh their options against a familiar starting point rather than shopping blind.

Understanding this figure is central to making an informed decision about electricity supply. It is not the total bill amount, and it is not a delivery charge. Instead, it isolates the cost of the electricity commodity itself, which is the portion of a bill that can be shopped among competitive suppliers in Pennsylvania's deregulated market.

How Is the Price to Compare Calculated?

The price to compare reflects the cost that Duquesne Light Company incurs when purchasing electricity supply on behalf of customers who remain on default service, meaning those who have not chosen an alternate supplier. Rather than marking up this cost for profit, the utility passes through the wholesale procurement expense associated with securing supply for these customers. This calculation accounts for the utility's obligation to acquire power through a structured procurement process approved by regulators, rather than reflecting an arbitrary or negotiated price.

Because this figure is tied to wholesale procurement outcomes rather than a fixed formula that never changes, it can shift over time as market conditions and purchasing cycles evolve. The specific numeric value in effect at any given moment is published directly by Duquesne Light Company and should always be confirmed through the utility's own current disclosures rather than assumed from a prior billing cycle.

Supply Charges vs. Delivery Charges: What's the Difference?

A Duquesne Light bill is generally composed of two distinct categories: supply charges and delivery charges. Delivery charges cover the cost of transporting electricity across poles and wires to a customer's home or business. These charges are set by Duquesne Light Company and are regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC), meaning they do not change based on which supplier a customer chooses.

Supply charges, on the other hand, cover the actual cost of the electricity commodity itself. This is the portion of the bill that is open to competition, since Pennsylvania customers have the ability to shop for a supplier offering a different supply rate than the utility's default service supply rate. Recognizing this split matters because comparing offers only makes sense when comparing supply rates against the price to compare, not the delivery portion, which remains constant regardless of supplier choice.

• Delivery charges: set by Duquesne Light Company, regulated by the PA PUC, unaffected by supplier choice.
• Supply charges: the shoppable portion of the bill, compared against the price to compare figure.
• Total bill: combines both delivery and supply charges regardless of which supplier is selected.

How Often Does Duquesne Light Update Its Price to Compare?

Duquesne Light Company updates its price to compare on a periodic rate change schedule rather than leaving the figure static indefinitely. As one example, $0.1414 per kWh is the rate per Duquesne Light Company, effective August 3, 2026, illustrating how the utility publishes a specific figure tied to a defined effective date. This periodic structure means that the number a customer saw on a prior bill may no longer be current.

Because of this rate change schedule, customers should check the current figure before evaluating any supplier offers rather than relying on memory or an older bill. A supply rate that looked competitive against a previous price to compare might not hold up against a newly updated figure, so timing matters when reviewing options.

How to Use the Price to Compare When Reviewing Supplier Offers

When reviewing a quoted rate from an electric generation supplier, the practical step is to place that quoted supply rate side by side with the current price to compare published by Duquesne Light Company. This comparison is what allows a customer to gauge relative value between staying on default service supply and switching to a competitive supplier's plan.

• Locate the current price to compare on the most recent Duquesne Light bill or utility disclosure.
• Identify the supply rate quoted by the electric generation supplier under consideration, including its structure (fixed or variable) and contract length.
• Compare the supplier's quoted rate against the price to compare to understand how it relates to the default service supply rate.
• Confirm whether the effective date of the price to compare matches the billing period being reviewed, since the figure changes on a periodic schedule.

This process does not guarantee any particular outcome, but it provides a consistent, regulator-recognized reference point for evaluating offers from suppliers operating in Pennsylvania's competitive market.

Where to Find Your Current Price to Compare

The most direct source for the current price to compare is a customer's monthly Duquesne Light Company bill, where the figure is typically disclosed alongside supply and delivery line items. Duquesne Light Company also maintains disclosures describing the current default service supply rate outside of the billing document itself, which serve as an authoritative reference point.

Because this figure changes on a periodic basis, relying on the utility's own current disclosures is more reliable than referencing a number from a past bill or a secondhand summary. Checking directly with Duquesne Light Company ensures the figure being used for comparison reflects what is actually in effect.

What Happens if You Don't Choose a Supplier?

Customers in the Duquesne Light Company service territory who do not actively select an electric generation supplier continue receiving their electricity supply through default service, billed according to the price to compare. This is not a penalty or a lapse in service; it is simply the standard supply arrangement Pennsylvania utilities maintain for customers who have not opted into the competitive market.

Default service supply through Duquesne Light Company remains fully regulated, with the applicable rate overseen by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC). Customers can remain on this default arrangement indefinitely or choose to shop for a supplier at any point, since Pennsylvania's competitive market allows switching without being locked into default service permanently.

How Gatby Can Help You Navigate Supplier Options

Gatby is a licensed energy broker that helps Pennsylvania customers navigate the process of finding and comparing electric generation supplier plans available in the Duquesne Light Company service territory. Rather than selling energy itself, Gatby helps customers understand how a given supplier's quoted rate stacks up against the current price to compare, making it easier to evaluate offers within the context of the broader Pennsylvania market overseen by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC).

For customers who are uncertain about whether to remain on default service supply or explore alternatives, Gatby provides a starting point for organizing supplier information in a way that can be reviewed alongside the utility's own published figures, such as $0.1414 per kWh, per Duquesne Light Company, effective August 3, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the price to compare on a Duquesne Light bill?

The price to compare is the benchmark figure representing Duquesne Light Company's default service supply rate, used as a reference point for customers evaluating offers from an electric generation supplier.

Is the price to compare the same as my total electric bill?

No. The price to compare reflects only the supply portion of a bill. Delivery charges, which are set by Duquesne Light Company and regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC), are separate and are not part of the shoppable supply charge.

How often does the price to compare change?

Duquesne Light Company updates the price to compare on a periodic rate change schedule. For example, $0.1414 per kWh is the rate per Duquesne Light Company, effective August 3, 2026, reflecting how the figure is tied to a specific effective date rather than remaining fixed indefinitely.

What happens if I don't choose an electric generation supplier?

Customers who do not select a supplier continue to receive electricity supply through Duquesne Light Company's default service, billed according to the current price to compare, which remains subject to oversight by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC).

Where can I find my current price to compare?

The current price to compare appears on a customer's monthly Duquesne Light Company bill and in the utility's own disclosures, which are the authoritative sources for the figure in effect at any given time.

How can Gatby help with comparing supplier offers?

Gatby is a licensed energy broker that helps Pennsylvania customers find and compare electric generation supplier plans against Duquesne Light Company's price to compare, without selling energy or acting as a supplier itself.

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