Duquesne Light electric rates and bills
Duquesne Light's 437,551 default-service customers in Pennsylvania paid an average of 23.47¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $143.33 a month on 611 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 25.39¢, and 25.86¢ in August 2026.2 Another 115,573 homes on its wires (20.9%) buy their supply elsewhere and pay Duquesne Light delivery charges averaging 11.94¢ per kWh, plus their supplier's price.
EIA-861 2025 final (released October 7, 2026) and EIA's monthly utility survey through August 2026 (preliminary); next monthly update expected November 24, 2026. Averages are revenue divided by kWh, all charges included: not the rate printed in a tariff.
3 of 67 Pennsylvania counties served (EIA-861 2025)
Duquesne Light's default-service homes in southwestern Pennsylvania paid 23.47¢ per kWh on average in 2025, the highest of Pennsylvania's larger utilities, and 25.39¢ per kWh2 over the 12 months to August 2026. Those homes used only 611 kWh a month, so the average bill, $143.331, stayed below the state's $161.905.
Three readings of Duquesne Light's price
In 2025 Duquesne Light Company had 553,124 residential customers on its wires in southwestern Pennsylvania, about one home in ten statewide (10.1%). EIA's price figures describe the 437,5511 of them who bought both delivery and power from Duquesne Light on default service.
- 2025, final annual data (EIA-861): 23.47¢ per kWh1, up from 21.74¢ per kWh3 in 2024.
- Last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026, EIA-861M): 25.39¢ per kWh.
- August 20264 alone (preliminary): 25.86¢ per kWh, +9.2%2 against August 2025.
All three are average revenue per kWh, meaning residential revenue from default-service homes over the electricity they consumed. Delivery, default-service supply, the fixed monthly charge and riders are all inside them, most taxes are not, and no single line of Duquesne Light's tariff matches them. A household using less than average pays more per kWh than this figure; a large user pays less.
The 2025 figure was the highest of the 13 Pennsylvania utilities with 10,000 or more default-service homes, 21.7% above the Pennsylvania average and 32.0% above the national average for investor-owned utilities. Set against the 177 large utilities nationwide (those reporting 100,000 or more residential customers), it came 19th highest of 177; the median of that group was 15.07¢ per kWh1.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average residential price (bundled customers) |
|---|---|
| PECO (PA) | 18.02¢ |
| PPL Electric Utilities (PA) | 18.60¢ |
| FirstEnergy Pennsylvania (PA) | 18.77¢ |
| Duquesne Light (PA) | 23.47¢ |
The gap with the other three large utilities is wider in the newer monthly data. Over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, Duquesne Light's average was 25.39¢ per kWh, against 19.49¢ per kWh at PECO, 19.96¢ per kWh at PPL Electric Utilities and 20.38¢ per kWh2 at FirstEnergy Pennsylvania.
Why the bill is lower than the price suggests
A high price per kWh does not give Duquesne Light the highest bill, because its homes use much less electricity. In 2025 the average default-service home used 611 kWh a month, against 755 kWh at PECO, 880 kWh at PPL and 884 kWh1 at FirstEnergy Pennsylvania; the statewide average was 839 kWh5.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average monthly residential use |
|---|---|
| Duquesne Light (PA) | 611 |
| PECO (PA) | 755 |
| PPL Electric Utilities (PA) | 880 |
| FirstEnergy Pennsylvania (PA) | 884 |
The result was a 2025 average bill of $143.33, below PPL's $163.72 and FirstEnergy Pennsylvania's $165.99, above PECO's $136.071, and under the Pennsylvania average of $161.905. The 12-month figures from EIA's monthly survey (September 2025 to August 2026) tell the same story: $151.62 for 597 kWh2 a month at Duquesne Light, against $174.48 for 836 kWh4 statewide.
How much prices and bills rose
From 2024 to 2025, the default-service average rose 8.0%, from 21.74¢ per kWh to 23.47¢ per kWh. Use per home was almost flat (605 kWh and 611 kWh a month), so the average bill rose by a similar share, from $131.53 to $143.33 (+9.0%). The delivery-only average, which leaves supply out and covers customers with a supplier, rose less, from 11.29¢ per kWh3 to 11.94¢ per kWh (+5.8%1).
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kWh in each month, as reported to EIA's monthly survey (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). Bundled (default-service) customers only.
Show the numbers
| Month | Duquesne Light (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 21.67¢ | 687 | $148.76 |
| February 2025 | 21.99¢ | 690 | $151.69 |
| March 2025 | 22.53¢ | 570 | $128.37 |
| April 2025 | 23.23¢ | 456 | $105.91 |
| May 2025 | 23.34¢ | 442 | $103.07 |
| June 2025 | 23.95¢ | 518 | $123.96 |
| July 2025 | 23.67¢ | 883 | $208.99 |
| August 2025 | 23.69¢ | 870 | $206.22 |
| September 2025 | 24.25¢ | 644 | $156.29 |
| October 2025 | 24.81¢ | 500 | $124.12 |
| November 2025 | 24.91¢ | 447 | $111.28 |
| December 2025 | 24.27¢ | 623 | $151.09 |
| January 2026 | 24.99¢ | 680 | $169.86 |
| February 2026 | 24.88¢ | 745 | $185.34 |
| March 2026 | 25.76¢ | 532 | $137.02 |
| April 2026 | 26.35¢ | 467 | $123.09 |
| May 2026 | 26.81¢ | 432 | $115.76 |
| June 2026 | 26.50¢ | 551 | $145.91 |
| July 2026 | 25.83¢ | 787 | $203.27 |
| August 2026 | 25.86¢ | 755 | $195.16 |
Distribution rates are set by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in base rate cases. On November 7, 2024, the commission approved a settlement of Duquesne Light's rate case that gave the utility a distribution increase well below its original request; under it Duquesne Light agreed not to file for another general distribution increase before March 20, 2026. The commission's case docket holds the filings. Supply for default-service homes, priced through the Price to Compare, follows its own schedule; our guide to rate increases walks through how each kind of change shows up on a bill.
The rise did not stop in 2026. The 12-month average from September 2025 to August 2026 was 25.39¢ per kWh, above the 2025 figure, and in August 20264 the reading was 25.86¢ per kWh, +9.2%2 on a year earlier. EIA revises its 2026 monthly numbers, preliminary for now, once the final annual survey is out.
The biggest bills come in summer
Pennsylvania as a whole used the most electricity per home in January 20264. Duquesne Light's homes peaked in summer instead: over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, use ranged from 432 kWh in May 2026 to 787 kWh in July 2026, and the average bill in those two months from $115.76 to $203.27. PPL, by contrast, peaked in January 2026, and FirstEnergy Pennsylvania in January 20262.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility. kWh per residential customer in each month (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). The table adds the average bill and price for the month.
Show the numbers
| Month | kWh per customer | Bill per customer | ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 644 | $156.29 | 24.25¢ |
| October 2025 | 500 | $124.12 | 24.81¢ |
| November 2025 | 447 | $111.28 | 24.91¢ |
| December 2025 | 623 | $151.09 | 24.27¢ |
| January 2026 | 680 | $169.86 | 24.99¢ |
| February 2026 | 745 | $185.34 | 24.88¢ |
| March 2026 | 532 | $137.02 | 25.76¢ |
| April 2026 | 467 | $123.09 | 26.35¢ |
| May 2026 | 432 | $115.76 | 26.81¢ |
| June 2026 | 551 | $145.91 | 26.50¢ |
| July 2026 | 787 | $203.27 | 25.83¢ |
| August 2026 | 755 | $195.16 | 25.86¢ |
Even at its peak, a Duquesne Light home used less than the average PECO home at PECO's own peak (1,020 kWh in July 2026), but the higher price brought the two bills close: $203.27 against $207.872.
Shopping homes: the highest delivery charge in the state
About one Duquesne Light home in five buys its power from a licensed supplier rather than on default service. EIA's 2025 figure was 115,573 such residential accounts, 20.9%1 of all residential customers on the system; the PUC, counting on June 30, 2026, found 109,143 (19.7%6). The dates and definitions behind the two counts differ, so they do not match exactly.
Duquesne Light keeps billing these homes for the wires. Their delivery-only average came to 11.94¢ per kWh in 2025, or $76.07 a month on 637 kWh. That was more than any of the other three large utilities charged their shopping homes for delivery: PECO 10.49¢ per kWh, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania 7.75¢ per kWh, PPL 6.51¢ per kWh. Across Pennsylvania the delivery-only average was 8.08¢ per kWh1.
What the supplier charges is set by each contract and does not appear in EIA's utility figures. Because the delivery-only average and the default-service average describe separate groups of homes and separate pieces of the bill, subtracting one from the other does not produce a supply price. The yardstick for a supplier offer is Duquesne Light's Price to Compare, which the PUC lists next to current offers on PAPowerSwitch; the page on retail choice in Pennsylvania covers the rules.
Outage minutes: almost all on major event days
Duquesne Light reported 856 minutes without power per customer in 2025 counting every event, more than the Pennsylvania average of 458 minutes. With major event days taken out, the figure drops to 103 minutes, against 133 minutes statewide, so the days classed as major events produced most of the year's minutes without power. The average customer was interrupted 1.277 times.
Duquesne Light reports under another method (not IEEE 1366), while PECO, PPL and FirstEnergy Pennsylvania use the IEEE 1366 standard, so its figures are not strictly comparable with theirs.
Meters are all smart; time-of-use and solar are rare
EIA counted 100.0% of Duquesne Light's residential meters as advanced meters in 2025, the equipment a time-based price needs. Enrollment in a time-of-use rate was 1,477 homes, 0.3% of residential customers; the time-of-use guide explains when such a rate lowers a bill. Homes with net-metered rooftop solar numbered 11,185, or 20.2 per 1,000 residential customers, with 77.3 megawatts8 installed between them.
Allegheny, Beaver and Westmoreland: each shared
Duquesne Light appears in 3 counties in EIA's 2025 territory data: Allegheny County, Beaver County and Westmoreland County. Every one of them (39) also has customers of at least one other distribution utility, so knowing the county or ZIP code is not enough; the utility's service map decides by street address. EIA does not publish prices for individual cities or towns.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 3 counties. Counts whole counties even where the utility serves only part of one; check the utility's own service-area map for an address.
Show the numbers
| County | Other utilities reporting service |
|---|---|
| Allegheny County | FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, Central Electric Cooperative, Borough of Tarentum, Borough of Pitcairn |
| Beaver County | FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, Borough of Ellwood City |
| Westmoreland County | FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, REA Energy Cooperative, Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative |
Business customers and help paying
Outside the residential class, default-service commercial accounts averaged 16.93¢ per kWh in 2025 and the 297 default-service industrial accounts 13.76¢ per kWh; for every customer class together the figure was 21.83¢ per kWh. Businesses buying supply from a supplier paid Duquesne Light 3.75¢ per kWh (commercial) and 1.59¢ per kWh1 (industrial) for delivery only.
For households behind on bills, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program sent Pennsylvania $232.5 million11 for fiscal year 2026; the guide to help paying an electric bill lists LIHEAP and the utility programs.
Duquesne Light rates: reader questions
What is Duquesne Light's rate per kWh?
EIA's data give an average, not a tariff rate: 23.47¢ per kWh1 in 2025 for residential customers on Duquesne Light's default service, and 25.39¢ per kWh2 over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026 (2026 months preliminary). It is total residential revenue divided by kWh, so the monthly customer charge, distribution, transmission, default-service supply and riders are all inside it. Customers who buy supply from a competitive supplier are not in this figure.
How much is the average Duquesne Light bill?
$143.33 a month in 2025 for 611 kWh1, up from $131.533 in 2024. Over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, EIA's monthly survey puts it at $151.62, ranging from $111.28 in November 2025 to $203.27 in July 20262.
Did Duquesne Light raise rates in 2026?
The average has kept climbing. In August 20264 Duquesne Light's default-service homes paid 25.86¢ per kWh, +9.2%2 on August 2025 (preliminary). That average moves with the default-service supply price, the Price to Compare, as well as with distribution rates, which changed under a settlement the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved in November 2024.
Can Duquesne Light customers choose another supplier?
Yes. A licensed supplier can replace the supply part of the bill; Duquesne Light still delivers the power and bills for delivery. The PUC counted 109,143 Duquesne Light residential customers with a supplier on June 30, 2026, 19.7%6 of the total. Offers and the current Price to Compare are listed on the PUC's PAPowerSwitch site.
Related pages
Sources
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; table sales_ult_cust_2025 and _2026; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2024; 2024, final (file updated December 3, 2025); released December 3, 2025. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Pennsylvania PUC, PAPowerSwitch, customers who have switched; table paps_numbers063026.pdf; 2026-06-30. www.papowerswitch.com
- EIA-861 2025, reliability; table Reliability_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, advanced meters, dynamic pricing and net metering; table Advanced_Meters, Dynamic_Pricing, Net_Metering 2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties; table cb_2025_us_county_5m; cb_2021_us_county_5m; 2025 (2021 for Connecticut). www.census.gov
- HHS, LIHEAP funding releases to states; table FY2027 first release; FY2026 final; FY2027 first release (October 9, 2026); FY2026 total; released October 9, 2026. acf.gov
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.