By: WJAC Web Staff and The Associated Press
READING – Penelec utility customers will see their bills rise by an average of 12 percent due to a rate hike that takes effect Sunday.
The Altoona Mirror reported Wednesday the Reading-based utility is raising its generation rate about 20 percent, from 7.73 cent to 9.28 cents per kilowatt hour.
Scott Surgeoner, a spokesman for Penelec’s parent company, FirstEnergy, said that means the average residential customer who uses 750 kilowatt hours per month will see their bill rise from $95.60 to $107.19.
The total bill increase will be about 12 percent because the generation charge affected by the rate hike accounts for 65-70 percent of a customer’s bill.
Surgeoner said the rates are going up because of looming summer demand and to make up for electricity the utility had to buy during the unusually cold winter.