Democratic SE Delegation urges PUC to reject PECO rate hikes
Letter to PUC chair cites ‘significant financial hardships’ on ratepayers
Rep. Dan Williams April 8, 2026 | 1:19 PM
HARRISBURG, April 8 — Members of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Southeast Delegation today wrote to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to express their strong opposition to proposed gas and electric rate hikes by PECO, according to state Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, the delegation chair.
PECO last week filed a request with the PUC to significantly increase gas and electric rates beginning next year. On average, these rate hikes would cost families an additional $20.08 per month for electricity and $14.52 per month for natural gas.
In the joint letter to PUC Chair Steve DeFrank, the legislators spelled out their concerns that “PECO’s habitual requests for rate increases over the last few years are excessive, and that this rate increase in particular will benefit for-profit large load users at the expense of Pennsylvania’s long standing residential customers and small businesses.
“Many of those who live and work in Southeast counties are concerned about the significant financial hardships that the proposed rate increase would create, given that, if approved, this would be PECO’s third rate hike since 2022,” the letter continued.
The Democratic Southeast Delegation includes House members from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
In addition to urging the PUC to reject the rate increases, the delegation members asked the commission to hold four public hearings on the proposals, one in each of Philadelphia’s collar counties.
“Holding local hearings will allow for greater accessibility and transparency for our constituents, who deserve to be a part of this process,” the legislators wrote.
The letter is available here.