With default electric rates rising across Pennsylvania this summer, UGI encourages customers to manage their energy bills to minimize the impact of these rate increases.
For UGI customers, the increase in default electric rates for customers using 1000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month will raise bills by about $40 per month.
While UGI provides electric service, it does not own the power plants or generate electricity. UGI purchases electric generation through competitive energy auctions and passes the cost of electricity to our customers at no profit.
Customers can shop for an alternate electricity supplier at https://www.papowerswitch.com/. Customers may be able to choose an electricity supplier that provides a lower rate. However, always read the fine print of any contract and be aware of variable rates that start low and increase as the price of energy changes or increase after an introductory period.
Here are some easy and inexpensive conservation tips to consider:
- Install a programmable thermostat and raise the setting to the highest comfortable temperature. You can save three-to-five percent on your air conditioning costs for each degree you raise the thermostat.
- Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. If you have central air conditioning, close off vents to unused rooms. Keep filters clean.
- Even if you have air conditioning, use ceiling fans to provide additional cooling and better circulation.
- Seal holes and cracks around doors and windows. Eliminate air leaks around window air conditioners with foam insulation or weather-stripping.
- Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to keep out the sun’s heat and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.
- Use timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
- Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your room air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
- Vacuum registers regularly to remove any dust buildup. Ensure that furniture and other objects are not blocking the airflow through your registers.
- Install LED lighting that runs cooler. Only about 10 to 15 percent of the electricity that incandescent lights consume results in light—the rest is turned into heat.
UGI offers a budget billing program that spreads the cost of your electricity evenly over a 12-month period, making your payments more predictable. If you are struggling to pay your energy bill, UGI offers a variety of customer assistance programs. Contact UGI for additional information.
UGI also offers rebates to residential customers for implementing a variety of energy efficiency steps, ranging from installing Energy Star appliances to recycling older, inefficient appliances. Visit https://www.ugi.com/rebates-for-home/ for additional information.
UGI Utilities is a natural gas and electric utility with headquarters in Reading, Pennsylvania. UGI serves more than 730,000 customers in 45 Pennsylvania counties and one county in Maryland. Customers and community members are invited to visit the UGI website at www.ugi.com, our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ugiutilities, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ugi_utilities.
