Duquesne Light Bill Explained: Charges, Price to Compare & Shopping
Duquesne Light delivers electricity to the Pittsburgh area but, like every Pennsylvania utility under the state's restructured market, doesn't have to be your generation supplier. Your bill splits into delivery charges (set by Duquesne Light and regulated by the PA PUC) and generation charges (either Duquesne Light's default Price to Compare or a competitive supplier's rate). Shopping only affects the generation line.
Two charges, two different jobs
Delivery charges pay for the poles, wires, transformers, and outage response that get electricity to your building — Duquesne Light provides this regardless of who supplies your power, and the PA Public Utility Commission regulates these rates. Generation charges pay for the electricity itself, and this is the part Pennsylvania's electric choice law opened to competition back in the late 1990s.
What the Price to Compare actually means
Duquesne Light publishes a Price to Compare (PTC) — the per-kWh rate it charges customers who stay on default generation service. It resets periodically as Duquesne Light re-procures power on the wholesale market. The PTC exists specifically so customers have a fair benchmark: any competitive supplier offer should be judged against it, not against the total bill, since delivery charges don't change no matter who supplies the generation.
Reading the line items
A typical residential or small-business Duquesne Light bill separates into a customer charge (a flat monthly fee), a distribution charge (often usage-based), transmission charges, and the generation charge — either the PTC or a chosen supplier's rate. Line items and terminology can shift slightly between rate cases, so it's worth checking the current tariff on Duquesne Light's site or the PA PUC's PAPowerSwitch comparison tool if a specific charge looks unfamiliar.
What this means for a business
Commercial and industrial customers in Duquesne Light's territory shop the same competitive generation market as residential customers, but usually fall into different rate classes with their own demand charges, time-of-use structures, or contract minimums depending on usage size. Before signing a supplier contract, comparing the quoted rate to the current Price to Compare — and reading the contract term, any early termination fee, and whether the rate is fixed or variable — is worth the ten minutes it takes.
Frequently asked questions
Does Duquesne Light supply my electricity or just deliver it?
Duquesne Light delivers electricity over its wires and handles outages no matter who supplies your power. The generation (supply) portion can be bought from Duquesne Light's default service or from a competitive supplier you choose.
What is Duquesne Light's Price to Compare?
The Price to Compare is the per-kWh rate Duquesne Light charges for default generation supply. It's the benchmark customers use to judge whether a competitive supplier's offer is actually cheaper, and it changes periodically as default supply is re-procured.
Can a business switch its Duquesne Light supplier?
Yes. Commercial and industrial accounts in Duquesne Light's territory can shop for a competitive generation supplier the same way residential customers can, often with additional rate class and demand-charge considerations.
See this on your own bill
Upload your Duquesne Light bill and Certo reads it for you — a free bill health score, a plain-English breakdown, and whether your current rate is competitive.
Running a business on Duquesne Light service?
Certo for Business tracks commercial accounts, flags rate hikes and unusual usage across locations, and builds a custom savings checklist — so nothing slips through on autopilot renewals.