The case for locking in your electricity rate.
Nobody taught you how commercial electric rates work — the market counts on that. Here's the plain-English version, the real numbers, and why smart businesses pick one solid rate and stop worrying about it.
Your bill has three parts. Only one is negotiable.
Once you see the split, the whole game makes sense — and you'll see exactly where we earn our keep.
Supply
The actual electricity you use. This is the only part of the bill you can negotiate — and the part suppliers compete on.
Delivery
The poles, wires, and meters that get power to your door. Your utility still delivers no matter who supplies you — this part doesn't change.
Taxes & fees
State and local charges that ride along with the bill. Nobody negotiates these, but a good review makes sure they're correct.
What commercial rates actually did, 2013–2024
Real average commercial rates — not projections, not marketing. Hover any dot for the exact number. Notice how calm things look until they don't.
Average commercial retail price, cents per kWh. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual, Table 2.10 (Form EIA-861). Retrieved September 2026.
See the exact numbers
| Year | Pennsylvania (¢) | Ohio (¢) | Texas (¢) | U.S. average (¢) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 9.25 | 9.35 | 8.02 | 10.26 |
| 2014 | 9.73 | 9.83 | 8.16 | 10.74 |
| 2015 | 9.60 | 10.07 | 8.15 | 10.64 |
| 2016 | 9.22 | 9.97 | 8.26 | 10.43 |
| 2017 | 8.98 | 10.05 | 8.26 | 10.66 |
| 2018 | 8.94 | 10.11 | 8.16 | 10.67 |
| 2019 | 8.71 | 9.72 | 8.06 | 10.68 |
| 2020 | 8.50 | 9.53 | 7.60 | 10.59 |
| 2021 | 8.91 | 9.75 | 8.72 | 11.22 |
| 2022 | 10.73 | 10.39 | 9.05 | 12.41 |
| 2023 | 11.26 | 10.75 | 8.82 | 12.59 |
| 2024 | 11.03 | 10.66 | 8.55 | 12.75 |
+20%
Pennsylvania commercial rates jumped that much in a single year (2021→2022) when global gas prices surged.
+15%
Texas commercial rates jumped that much the year Winter Storm Uri froze the grid (2020→2021).
+24%
That's how much higher the U.S. commercial average was in 2024 than in 2013. The trend only points one way.
Why rates swing the way they do
Four forces move your rate. None of them ask your permission first.
Weather
A brutal cold snap or a record-hot August sends demand through the roof. When everyone's cranking heat or AC at once, the price of power spikes with it.
Natural gas prices
Gas-fired plants set the price of electricity most hours of the day in our markets. When gas gets expensive, your electric rate follows.
World events
Pipelines, wars, and export demand move global fuel prices — and those ripples land on American electric bills within months.
Grid & capacity costs
The grid has to be ready for the single hottest hour of the year. Those readiness costs get baked into rates and capacity charges.
What locking in gets you
A fixed rate doesn't beat every market wiggle — it beats the worry. Here's the trade, honestly.
One number you can budget around
Your rate is your rate — for 12, 24, or 36 months. No surprises when you open the bill, no scrambling to explain a spike.
Spikes can't touch you
When the next polar vortex or heat dome sends market prices soaring, your contract doesn't move. That's the whole point.
Stop trying to time the market
You run a business, not a trading desk. We watch the market every day and tell you when the timing is right to lock in.
The utility still delivers
Same wires, same reliability, same outage response. Only the supplier name on the bill changes — everything else feels identical.
Free review · No obligation · A real person looks at every bill