Dear Members of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission,

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and non-profit leaders of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, are writing to protest the recent and unsustainable electric rate increases enacted by Penelec (Pennsylvania Electric Company).

Over the last twelve months, our community has faced unprecedented surges in electricity costs, with many monthly bills doubling or even tripling without a corresponding increase in usage. These aggressive rate hikes are creating severe economic distress. They directly threaten the survival of our local small businesses, force families to make impossible financial trade-offs, and drain the resources of essential non-profits that support our most vulnerable citizens.

Stable, affordable power is vital to the safety and economic health of our rural region. We respectfully urge the Commission to investigate these rate adjustments and intervene on behalf of Pennsylvania consumers to ensure utility pricing remains just, transparent, and fair.

 

1.     Unjust Burden on Small Businesses: Local enterprises are facing severe financial strain due to soaring electric costs. The current peak-rate structures and 15-minute demand fee intervals are incompatible with standard business operations. Most small businesses must operate during designated peak hours and rely on continuously running, essential equipment—such as commercial coolers, freezers, equipment and safety lighting. These compounding fees are unsustainable, decimating profit margins and forcing local owners to consider closing permanently.

 

2.     Severe Residential Financial Strain: Skyrocketing electric bills are pushing local residents to a breaking point. For low- and moderate-income families, as well as elderly community members on strict, fixed budgets, these hikes are unmanageable. Because we live in a rural county, many residents already drive at least 45 minutes each way just to get to work, buy groceries, or access basic services. High gas prices already drain household budgets, and adding doubling or tripling electric bills is unsustainable. With winter approaching, many rely on electricity and fuel to heat their homes. Penelec's current rates will force families to choose between basic heat and putting food on the table.

 

 

3.     Critical Threat to Non-Profits and Emergency Services: Local non-profit organizations, including our essential volunteer fire departments, are deeply impacted by these severe utility hikes. These organizations operate on fundraising models and are facing overhead costs that directly threaten their ability to serve the public. Because our residents are already financially strained by these identical rate increases, discretionary community donations have steeply declined. For volunteer entities like our fire department, which rely on community fundraising, these soaring electric bills create an existential crisis. Left unchecked, these utility costs risk decimating the community donations required to maintain our county's primary emergency response infrastructure.

 

Request for Immediate Intervention:
Because our community cannot sustain these inflated utility costs, we respectfully petition the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to take immediate action:

Audit the Rate Hikes: Launch a formal inquiry into Penelec to audit and uncover the true justification behind these sharp bill increases and clarify why different customers are billed at varying rates for identical usage.
Measure the Local Damage: Review the financial toll these costs are taking on our small businesses, local families, and volunteer emergency services.
Enforce Just and Fair Pricing: Ensure that utility company actions comply with fairness regulations, prioritizing consumer survival over corporate profitability.
Provide Emergency Rate Relief: Deploy emergency relief plans or establish rate exemptions to protect ratepayers. Consumers in our area are reporting peak-hour rates spiking to 67 cents per kWh, nearly four times the amount we were paying just twelve months ago.
 

Conclusion: We, the residents, business owners, and non-profit leaders of Susquehanna County, stand united in our opposition to the recent rate hikes imposed by Penelec. We call on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to act swiftly to protect our community and ensure just utility practices and lower the rates.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Respectfully Submitted: