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The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to a rate phase-in option offered by PPL Electric Utilities is another indication that people across eastern and central Pennsylvania are taking steps to control their electricity use and electric bills, the company’s president said Monday (11/3).

More than 10 percent of eligible customers — 138,000 in all — signed up for the phase-in option during September and October to spread out expected increases in electricity costs that will take effect in 2010 after more than a decade under capped rates.

“While we knew people were interested in a phase-in option, the response by our residential and small-business customers exceeded our expectations,” said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities.

“We’ve always believed that our customers are savvy and understand value. So it is not a total surprise that so many have chosen a plan in which they earn 6 percent interest on money they set aside to smooth out a future increase,” he said.

Another example of customers’ resourcefulness, he noted, is that nearly 240,000 of them have used PPL Electric Utilities’ Energy Analyzer Web site where they can view their daily — and now hourly — electricity use.

“Customers by the thousands are learning more about how they use electricity in their homes and businesses. The Energy Analyzer gives them opportunities to save energy now, and information that helps them determine if they could benefit from different rate plans in the future,” DeCampli said.

In Pennsylvania, he said, only customers of PPL Electric Utilities have access to such detailed information, and it’s all because the company was one of the first to install advanced metering technology.

Advanced metering enables PPL Electric Utilities to offer time-of-use rates, which give customers an opportunity to save money by shifting the time they use most of their electricity. The company has a summer pilot program for time-of-use rates and recently asked the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to approve an expanded pilot that would be open to 1,200 residential customers. In 2010, all residential customers will have a time-of-use pricing option.

For many years, customers have had a budget billing option that evens out seasonal differences in electric bills; more than 180,000 customers are enrolled in budget billing. And PPL Electric Utilities has encouraged customer use of energy-efficient lighting, appliances and home heating systems.

“Our customers understand that using energy wisely is a good way to reduce electric bills, and increasingly they realize that it is good for the environment,” DeCampli said.

To encourage customers to purchase energy-efficient products, PPL Electric Utilities has teamed with Energy Federation Inc. to provide a 20 percent discount for items purchased through EFI’s online “e” Store. Customers can browse the “e” Store by visiting www.pplelectric.com and clicking on the e-power logo.

PPL Electric Utilities also is offering programs to help school districts and small businesses improve their lighting efficiency. Lighting represents a major portion of electric bills for schools and small businesses.

DeCampli also noted that the state Legislature and governor’s office are encouraging wise energy use through the recent enactment of Act 129, which sets challenging conservation targets and promotes greater use of advanced metering.

PPL Electric Utilities already has begun working on the tools that will help customers reduce electricity use and meet Act 129’s energy conservation targets.

“As they have responded over the years to the variety of options we have offered, our customers will surely be among the leaders in Pennsylvania in proving that all of us can enjoy the immense benefits of electricity while using it more wisely,” he said.  And as customers consider how they can save energy and manage their electric bills, they still may enroll in the phase-in option by calling 1-866-597-2010 or visiting www.pplelectric.com.

Because the phase-in payments started with October electric bills, customers who enroll from this point on must catch up with any payments they have missed.

Customers who enroll in the phase-in option may withdraw from it at any time and receive full credit, including interest, for the advance payments they have made.
PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.