West Penn Power Rates: What to Compare Before Choosing Solar
West Penn Power rates rising? Sunwise explains your bill, what solar could change, and how to compare options for your Pennsylvania home.
In this article
Short answer: West Penn Power's residential Price to Compare went from 10.948 cents per kilowatt-hour to 12.076 cents on June 1, 2026, an increase of about 10 percent. That number is only the supply part of your bill. Delivery charges, the customer charge and riders sit on top of it and don't change when you switch suppliers. Before you compare a supplier offer or a solar proposal, you need three things off your own bill: your rate schedule, your Price to Compare, and your total cost per kilowatt-hour once everything is added up.
If higher West Penn bills have you considering solar, Sunwise can help you take the next step: exploring a system around your home's energy use and roof, with payment options you can compare. This guide explains which bill numbers matter so your solar conversation starts with your home, rather than a regional average.
This guide is for homeowners in West Penn Power territory. If your bill says Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power or Duquesne Light, you're on a different utility with a different Price to Compare, even though three of those are also FirstEnergy companies. The Met-Ed, Penelec and Duquesne Light guides cover those.
What West Penn Power customers are paying in 2026
The Price to Compare is the per-kilowatt-hour price West Penn Power charges for generation if you haven't chosen a competitive supplier. FirstEnergy publishes it as a one-page document, and the two most recent versions show the move:
| Effective date | Residential (RS) Price to Compare | Source |
|---|---|---|
| December 1, 2025 | 10.948 cents per kWh | FirstEnergy supplier-services PTC document |
| June 1, 2026 | 12.076 cents per kWh | FirstEnergy customer-choice PTC document |
Both documents note the price includes a State Tax Adjustment Surcharge of 0.01 percent and apply to the Residential (RS) schedule. Local reporting ahead of the change put the same figures at 10.947 and 12.075 cents, "approximately 10.3%" higher (Mon Valley Independent, May 22, 2026).
The documents are dated December 1, 2025 and June 1, 2026. Check the current FirstEnergy document and your bill before using a rate; those historical dates do not establish the next price.
Where the Price to Compare sits on your bill
FirstEnergy's West Penn Power page says: "Your Price to Compare can be found on your West Penn Power electric bill" (FirstEnergy, West Penn Power customer choice). Look for it near the messages section of the bill. Then find these four items:
- Rate schedule. Most homes are on Residential (RS). If yours says something else, the Price to Compare above may not apply to you.
- Kilowatt-hours used this month, and ideally the usage history graph for the last twelve months.
- Generation (supply) charges. This is the Price to Compare multiplied by your usage, if West Penn supplies you. If you've signed with a supplier, their charges appear instead.
- Everything else: the customer charge, distribution charges, transmission and riders.
The Pennsylvania PUC defines those pieces this way: generation charges are "charges for the production of electricity," transmission charges are "charges for moving high voltage electricity from a generation facility to the distribution lines," distribution charges are "charges for the use of local wires, transformers, substations, and other equipment used to deliver electricity," and the customer charge is "a monthly basic distribution charge to cover costs for billing, meter reading, equipment, maintenance" (PA PUC, Understanding Your Bill).
Supply is not your all-in rate
This is where most comparisons go wrong. The Price to Compare is 12.076 cents, but your total bill divided by your kilowatt-hours is higher, because distribution and the fixed charges are in the total too. The PUC notes that "the distribution service, remains with your local electric utility" whoever supplies your generation.
To get your real number, divide current-period electricity charges in dollars by the kilowatt-hours used, then multiply by 100 for cents per kWh. Exclude past-due balances, late fees and unrelated services. Do it for a summer bill and a winter bill, because usage and the Price to Compare both move through the year. That historical average provides context, not a rate to multiply by every solar kilowatt-hour: it already includes fixed charges. Compare annual total costs and model the remaining utility bill after net metering credits, without counting fixed charges twice. The Price to Compare alone is what you compare a supplier offer against.
| What you're comparing | Compare it to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A competitive supplier's cents-per-kWh offer | Price to Compare (12.076 cents as of June 1, 2026) | The supplier replaces only the generation portion; delivery stays with West Penn |
| A solar proposal | Annual electricity spending versus solar payments plus the modelled remaining utility bill | Use the applicable tariff and export-credit rules; fixed charges belong in the remaining bill only once |
What a supplier offer and a solar proposal have in common, and where they split
Both are ways to change what you pay for electricity. A supplier offer changes the price of each kilowatt-hour you buy. Solar changes how many kilowatt-hours you buy.
A supplier contract is simple to evaluate against the Price to Compare: a lower rate for the contract term, with whatever fees, term length and renewal terms the contract carries. The PUC's standing advice is to "ask how long the price is effective."
A solar proposal needs more inputs, and this is where comparisons go wrong. To judge it against your bill you need:
- Projected annual production in kilowatt-hours, with the assumptions behind it (roof orientation, shading, equipment losses).
- Your annual usage from twelve months of bills, so production can be compared with consumption month by month, not just as two annual totals.
- What you'll still buy from West Penn. Production in July doesn't cover a January evening. The gap is what you keep paying for, at delivered rates, plus the fixed charges that solar doesn't touch.
- How exported electricity is credited. Pennsylvania's net metering rules credit excess generation at the full retail rate during the billing period and carry excess forward; any surplus still on the bill in May is reimbursed at the Price to Compare (PA PUC, Using Alternative Energy at Home, February 2024). The Pennsylvania net metering guide covers the mechanics.
- The solar payment itself, whether that's a loan, lease or PPA, and how it changes over the term.
One point from the PUC fact sheet matters for anyone considering both a supplier and solar: if you switch to a competitive supplier, "you will no longer receive credit for excess generation from the EDC after switching," and "EGSs are not required to provide net metering." If you have solar or plan to, confirm a supplier's net metering treatment before you sign.
A short worksheet for your own numbers
Fill this in from your bills before you ask anyone for a proposal. Leave blanks where you don't have the number yet; a blank is more useful than a guess.
| Item | Where it comes from | Your number |
|---|---|---|
| Rate schedule | Bill header | |
| Price to Compare on your bill | Bill messages section | |
| Annual kWh (12 months) | Usage history | |
| Annual electricity charges (12 months) | Twelve bills | |
| All-in cents per kWh | Annual electricity charges in dollars ÷ annual kWh × 100 | |
| Highest-usage month and lowest-usage month | Usage history | |
| Customer charge and other fixed charges per month | Bill detail |
With those filled in, a solar proposal can be checked against the bill it's supposed to replace. The regional rate guide shows how West Penn's numbers sit against the other Pennsylvania utilities, and the bill-reading guide shows what the bill looks like after a system is running.
How Sunwise helps you turn your West Penn bill into a solar decision
A utility rate tells you what electricity costs. Your roof, usage and payment options determine what solar could mean for your household. Sunwise brings those parts of the decision together through its Pennsylvania solar installation service.
Our consultation process starts with your property and goals. After your information is confirmed, Sunwise designers review roof potential, sunlight and system sizing before the appointment. That gives you a home-specific starting point for discussing solar, rather than choosing a system from a rate table.
Use the conversation to compare the available payment structures, the proposed production and the utility charges that would remain. Sunwise can help you understand the choices; the written proposal supplies the figures and assumptions you need to make the decision.
You do not need to finish every row of the worksheet before contacting us. Start with your address and a recent West Penn bill. The consultation is free and carries no obligation.
West Penn Power rate FAQs
What is West Penn Power's Price to Compare right now?
12.076 cents per kilowatt-hour for the Residential (RS) schedule, effective June 1, 2026, according to FirstEnergy's published Price to Compare document. Check for a newer effective date before relying on it. Check your bill for the figure that applies to you.
How much did the West Penn Power rate go up in June 2026?
The residential Price to Compare moved from 10.948 to 12.076 cents per kilowatt-hour, roughly 10 percent. That's the supply portion only; delivery and fixed charges are set separately.
Is the Price to Compare my total electricity rate?
No. It's the generation price. Your all-in average in cents is current electricity charges in dollars divided by kilowatt-hours, multiplied by 100, and it includes distribution, transmission, the customer charge and riders.
Should I shop for a supplier or look at solar?
They answer different questions. A supplier changes the price per kilowatt-hour for the generation portion over a contract term. Solar changes how many kilowatt-hours you buy. You can evaluate both, but compare each against the right number: the Price to Compare for a supplier, your all-in rate and remaining charges for solar.
Will West Penn Power rates go up again?
Future prices can rise or fall. Check FirstEnergy's current Price to Compare document and effective date rather than treating a past increase as a forecast.
References
- FirstEnergy, West Penn Power customer choice page, definition of the Price to Compare and where to find it on the bill
- FirstEnergy, West Penn Power Price to Compare effective June 1, 2026, 12.076 cents per kWh for RS
- FirstEnergy supplier services, West Penn Power Price to Compare effective December 1, 2025, 10.948 cents per kWh for RS
- Mon Valley Independent, Electric bills to increase for area residents on June 1 (May 22, 2026), reported percentage change
- Pennsylvania PUC, Understanding Your Bill, definitions of generation, transmission, distribution and customer charges
- Pennsylvania PUC, Using Alternative Energy at Home in PA (February 2024), net metering credits, May reconciliation at the Price to Compare, and supplier net metering caution
Rates and regulatory details change. Confirm the current Price to Compare on your bill or FirstEnergy's site before relying on any figure here. This guide is educational and isn't financial advice.