PECO customers leaving en masse
A major regional electric company is morphing into a provider of transmission services since competition opened up for electricity providers on the first of the year.
About 16 percent of PECO Energy’s customers have made the switch to other providers. Cathy Engel Menendez of the utility says that’s fine with them since any power they are providing is at their cost.
“We take all the energy that is purchased either through us or through a competitive supplier and we deliver all of that electricity to our customers,” she said.
About half the electricity sent through PECO lines is now from other suppliers. Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate Sonny Popowski says most big businesses in the region have made the switch.
“Industrial customers, large commercial customers, hospitals universities they use so much electricity it’s certainly worth it for every one of those customers to have rates that are more tailored to their usage where they can save some money,” said Popowski.
Popowski also says customers who buy energy from PECO should think about switching before the summer air conditioning season – when a surcharge kicks in if their usage goes over 500 kilowatt hours.
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