Price to Compare

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In some deregulated states, consumers can receive electricity from either their utility company or an independent energy provider. If a customer does not sign up for an energy plan through one of the available providers, they will be automatically enrolled in a plan with the local utility under a default rate.

The default rate set by a utility company is called the price to compare (PTC). Utilities share this rate publicly, often labeled as the Standard Offer Service (SOS). The PTC lets customers in deregulated areas determine whether they could get a lower energy rate if they sign up for a plan with another supplier.

In deregulated areas, energy providers may offer lower rates than the utility’s PTC to attract more customers. While lower rates don’t automatically mean lower bills, you could end up saving on monthly energy costs by choosing an alternate provider with a cheaper price.

There are 32 states, plus Washington, D.C., offering some form of deregulation for electricity, natural gas, or both. In some states, including Texas, customers are not able to purchase energy from their utility and must sign up for a plan through a retail energy provider (REP). Other states, such as Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Massachusetts, allow residents to shop for electricity service from their local utility or a provider.

If you live in an area where you can purchase electricity through your utility, you should know how to check the current PTC for your service area. Following is a list of deregulated states that offer electric service through the utility.

Your utility will normally provide the PTC on your monthly energy bill. The PTC may be listed in its own section of the bill (for example, in a section labeled “important information”), or it may appear as a line item in the section showing the details of your monthly charges.

Following is a list of current PTC rates from utilities in states with a deregulated electricity market. All rates are shown in cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and are accurate at the time of writing.

Massachusetts

Pennsylvania

Ohio

Illinois

New Jersey

*The rates on this page are based on the utility’s Price to Compare and the lowest rates on ChooseEnergy.com. These rates may vary by location and do not factor in distribution fees, taxes or other state regulated fees.