Pittsburgh Businesses Face Rising DLC Price to Compare Rate Next Month

Duquesne Light's commercial electric rate rises 2.76% to 11.18¢/kWh on December 1, adding about $15 a month for a business using 5,000 kWh. See what it means for your bill and how to compare rates.

Pittsburgh, PA - November 12, 2026 - Analysts with PAEnergyRatings.com caution business owners in Beaver, McKeesport, and Pittsburgh will pay a slight increase on their monthly Duquesne Light Company (DLC) electricity bills if they stick with the utility's commercial Price to Compare rate this winter. The utility announced a 2.76% increase to its default General Service Small supply rate will go into effect on December 1, 2026.

This Price to Compare (or PTC) rate, which affects commercial electricity customers in Allegheny and Beaver counties in southwestern PA, will rise from 10.88 cents per kWh to 11.18 cents per kWh. Businesses that use an average of 5,000 kWh a month will see their monthly supply charges go up $15 from about $544 to $559.

But analysts warn that while the increase is modest, it doesn't mean lower rates are on the horizon. In fact, they point to data showing that Duquesne Light commercial electricity rates have climbed 40.1% in just five years.

The PTC is a pass-through rate. Customers who do not shop for their own supplier pay exactly what DLC pays for the electricity, while business owners who compare Duquesne Light electricity plans can avoid that default rate. Unlike residential bills, where utility delivery charges make up most of the cost, commercial electricity bills are driven mainly by the energy supply rate. In recent years, rising electricity supply costs have stemmed from tight generator supplies on the PJM Interconnection grid as well as rising wholesale prices throughout the industry.

As a result, energy experts warn that DLC's default commercial supply rates will likely continue to rise this coming year. Companies that stick with the PTC rate may end up paying more than they would if they chose a plan from one of the PA electric companies serving the Pittsburgh area.

"Right now, some variable and fixed rate plans are running 17% less than what we'll see from DLC on December 1," says Karl Trollinger, CEO of Lumanex. "Businesses can avoid DLC's periodic rate hikes when they choose plans that fit their commercial electric needs. But companies watching their energy costs in the Pittsburgh metro area need to move on that as soon as possible by comparing Pittsburgh electricity rates at sites like PAEnergyRatings."

PAEnergyRatings.com is operated by Lumanex LLC.

Lumanex LLC operates an energy management platform and a network of energy shopping websites across 11 states across 56 utilities, providing our advisory, comparison and ratings service to over 58 million residential and commercial customers. We provide our customers with the power to choose the best providers through our consumer reviews platform and provide a reliable, unbiased, source of valuable consumer insight, advice, in-depth energy company service evaluations, and personalized recommendations.