If your business signed an electricity contract in 2023 or 2024, the price you locked in probably looks good today. The question is what happens when it ends. Here's the official record of what utility default prices did over the last three years in Pennsylvania and Illinois, straight from the utilities and state commissions.
I put this together because I keep having the same conversation: a business owner renews without shopping, and the new price is a shock. It doesn't have to be.
The Short Version
- Default prices rose in every utility we track. From June 2023 to June 2026, increases ranged from 8% (PPL) to 53% (ComEd).
- Most hit their low between mid-2023 and mid-2024, then climbed. From its low, West Penn Power's Price to Compare is up 37%.
- PPL's small business default went from 9.237¢ (June 2024) to 12.748¢ today, up 38%.
- The big jump came in June 2025, the same month a record PJM capacity price took effect.
- Prices don't only go up. PPL's default fell from 14.612¢ to 10.040¢ between late 2022 and mid-2024. That's why timing your contract matters.
Then and Now
Residential default price (Price to Compare) taking effect June 1, 2023 versus June 1, 2026, in cents per kWh:
Sources: PA Public Utility Commission; Illinois Commerce Commission (Plug In Illinois). Small business prices differ from these residential figures; see PPL's small business history below.
Pennsylvania: The Price to Compare, 2023 to 2026
Pennsylvania utilities reset their default price every June 1 and December 1 (some also adjust in between). Residential prices, cents per kWh, with the change since June 2023:
| Utility | June 2023 | Low point | June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Met-Ed | 10.240¢ | 10.240¢ Jun 2023 | 13.951¢ +36% |
| Penelec | 9.703¢ | 9.703¢ Jun 2023 | 13.142¢ +35% |
| Penn Power | 10.556¢ | 10.389¢ Jun 2024 | 13.477¢ +28% |
| Duquesne Light | 11.450¢ | 10.460¢ Dec 2023 | 14.140¢ +23% |
| West Penn Power | 9.929¢ | 8.787¢ Jun 2024 | 12.075¢ +22% |
| PECO | 10.312¢ | 8.919¢ Dec 2023 | 11.572¢ +12% |
| PPL | 12.126¢ | 10.040¢ Jun 2024 | 13.147¢ +8% |
Source: PA Public Utility Commission, June 1 and December 1 Price to Compare announcements, May 2023 through May 2026. "Low point" is the lowest June 1 or December 1 price from June 2023 to June 2026. PPL's residential price changed again to 13.079¢ on July 1, 2026 (PPL Electric Utilities). Each utility's own published figure can differ slightly from the PUC's release (PECO lists 11.759¢ from June 1, 2026). Current prices for each utility: Price to Compare by utility.
PPL small business default price
PPL publishes its small commercial and industrial Price to Compare history. It's the clearest official record of what a small business on default service has paid:
| Period | Small business Price to Compare |
|---|---|
| Dec 2022 to May 2023 | 14.751¢ |
| Jun to Nov 2023 | 11.689¢ |
| Dec 2023 to May 2024 | 11.386¢ |
| Jun to Nov 2024 | 9.237¢ |
| Dec 2024 to May 2025 | 10.446¢ |
| Jun to Nov 2025 | 12.114¢ |
| Dec 2025 to May 2026 | 12.681¢ |
| Jun 2026 | 12.745¢ |
| From Jul 1, 2026 | 12.748¢ |
Source: PPL Electric Utilities, Historical Price-to-Compare, updated July 1, 2026.
Illinois: ComEd and Ameren
Illinois prices change with the seasons: a summer price from June through September, and other prices the rest of the year. Residential prices, cents per kWh:
| Price taking effect | ComEd | Ameren Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2023 | 6.809¢ | 7.877¢ |
| Jan 2024 | 6.848¢ | 8.683¢ |
| Jun 2024 | 6.900¢ | 8.136¢ |
| Jan 2025 | 6.552¢ | 8.277¢ |
| Jun 2025 | 10.028¢ | 12.180¢ |
| Jan 2026 | 9.660¢ | 8.769¢ |
| Jun 2026 | 10.399¢ | 11.326¢ |
Source: Illinois Commerce Commission, Plug In Illinois Historical Prices-to-Compare, updated through September 2026. Residential non-space-heat customers; Ameren's non-summer price shown is for the first 800 kWh.
Summer to summer, ComEd is up 53% since 2023 and Ameren Illinois is up 44%. See our Illinois guide for today's prices.
Why Prices Moved
Utilities buy the power for default service in wholesale auctions, and those prices include the cost of capacity: what the grid pays power plants to be ready for the hottest and coldest days. In PJM, the grid that serves Pennsylvania and northern Illinois, the capacity price went from $28.92 to $269.92 per MW-day for the year that began June 1, 2025, and the auctions since have cleared at the price cap. That lines up with the June 2025 jumps above: PPL up 16% and ComEd from 6.552¢ to 10.028¢. Ameren Illinois is on a different grid (MISO), and its summer price jumped the same year, from 8.277¢ to 12.180¢. Here's the full story on capacity costs.
Energy prices, weather, and demand move the numbers too, in both directions. That's why the same utility can be cheap one year and expensive the next.
What This Means for You
These are illustrations using the official prices above, not quotes:
- Small businesses: a PPL business using 5,000 kWh a month on the default price pays about $176 more a month today than in mid-2024, roughly $2,107 a year.
- Churches and nonprofits: at 2,000 kWh a month, the same change is about $70 a month, or $843 a year out of the ministry budget.
- Schools and local governments: a default price that resets twice a year is hard to budget. A fixed contract that covers your fiscal year takes that off the table. Here's how to get one approved in time.
- Larger accounts: capacity is often billed separately on bigger accounts, based on your peak demand. Check how your contract handles it, and whether you can lower your capacity tag.
- Households: a ComEd home using 800 kWh a month pays about $29 more a month this summer than in summer 2023.
What I'd Do
- Find your contract end date. If you signed in 2023 or 2024, your renewal will be priced at today's market, not the price you have now. Our free Energy Contract Checkup finds the end date, the renewal terms, and the cost to leave in 10 minutes.
- Start shopping about six months early. Suppliers will quote a contract that starts the day your current one ends, so you're never forced to take whatever price is on the table that month.
- Compare against today's default price, not your old contract price. That's the real alternative if you do nothing.
- Ask how capacity is handled. After the last two years, a fixed price that includes capacity is worth a lot of peace of mind.
We do the shopping for you, free. The supplier you choose pays us, and if nothing beats what you pay now, we'll tell you.
Or skip the form: send us a photo of your bill.
Shopping in another state? See our guides for Ohio, Maryland, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
FAQ
What is the Price to Compare?
It's your utility's default price for the supply part of your bill, the price you pay if you haven't chosen a supplier. A supplier offer only saves you money if it's lower.
Where do these numbers come from?
Only from official sources: the PA Public Utility Commission's Price to Compare announcements, PPL Electric Utilities' published Price to Compare history, and the Illinois Commerce Commission's Plug In Illinois history.
Will prices keep going up?
Nobody can promise that. Default prices have fallen before, as PPL's did from late 2022 to mid-2024. What the record shows is that they move a lot, which is why locking a fixed price at the right time matters.
Why show residential prices if you focus on businesses?
Residential prices are the most consistently published history. PPL is the one Pennsylvania utility that publishes its small business history, and we show it in full. Your own bill shows your exact rate class and price.