What is Standard Offer Service?
Pepco customers who do not choose an electric supplier will receive Standard Offer Service (SOS). This means Pepco both delivers and purchases electricity for supply to its SOS customers.
How does Pepco purchase supplies for its SOS customers?
Pepco follows a DC PSC-approved competitive bid process -- i.e., each year Pepco offers about 33 percent of the total residential SOS peak load for bids. The bids are for three-year contracts. This approach has a dampening effect on price swings.
What are the SOS rates?
The rates can be found in our Current Tariff.
How often do customer SOS rates change?
Each year new SOS rates are effective for the Summer on June 1 and for Winter on October 1.
What power plant is my electricity coming from?
Typically, multiple suppliers will serve SOS load in the District of Columbia. The suppliers buy and trade the energy in the PJM marketplace so tracking its origin is difficult. The bid process simply ensures that we’ll get the needed reliable and competitive supply of electricity for delivery to our customers.
How do I choose a supplier other than Pepco?
First, you need to find out if there is an alternative retail electric supplier available to you. You can do this by calling the D.C. Public Service Commission, (202) 626-5100 or visit the Commission’s Web site, www.dcpsc.org. If you are considering a competitive supplier, you should know your Price to Compare, which is the average cost per kilowatt-hour for generation and transmission service, based on your rate classification. The Price to Compare is a tool for you to use in comparing Pepco’s SOS rates with offers from competing electricity suppliers.
Pepco provides each customer with an individual Price to Compare on the monthly electric bill.
What is Standard Offer Service?
Our customers who do not choose an electric supplier will receive Standard Offer Service (SOS). This means Pepco both delivers and purchases electricity for supply to its customers.
How does Pepco purchase supplies for its SOS customers?
We follow a PSC approved competitive bid process – twice each year we offer about 25 percent of the total residential and small commercial SOS peak load for bids. The bids are for two-year contracts. This approach has a dampening effect on price swings.
How often do customer SOS rates change?
New SOS rates are effective for the Summer on June 1 and for Winter on October 1.
How much load did each supplier win and at what price?
Pricing information is confidential in compliance with PSC Formal Case No. 9056 and 9064 which govern the SOS bidding process. Click here for publicly available data.
First, you need to find out if there is an alternative retail electric supplier available to you. You can do this by calling the Maryland Public Service Commission, (800) 492-0474 or visit the Commission’s Web site, www.psc.state.md.us. If you are considering a competitive supplier, you should know your “SOS Pricing Information,” which is a listing of current and known Standard Offer Service (SOS) prices and a weighted average of known SOS prices, including effective dates based on your rate classification. The SOS Pricing Information includes Generation and Transmission Services. It does not include other parts of your electric bill such as the cost to deliver electricity to your home (Distribution Services). All prices are in cents per kilowatt-hour and are provided as information to help you evaluate Pepco's SOS rates with offers from competing electricity suppliers.
Pepco provides each customer with SOS Pricing Information on the monthly electric bill. Such information will change from time to time as new rates are set for the summer and winter.
When will the Pepco rates be available?
The new rates are already available on our Tariffs page.
What is the RGGI Rate Credit?
The RGGI Rate Credit is a monthly rate credit that is applied to the bills of all Maryland residential customers. The credit appears as a line item on the bill. It provides a billing credit to help offset surcharges for the cost of programs that will decrease energy demand and promote clean energy to fuel Maryland’s future prosperity. RGGI stands for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Funding for the RGGI credit comes from the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which receives proceeds mainly from the sale of CO2 emission allowances by the State of Maryland. The credit is a direct pass-through from the state to all residential electric customers and will be adjusted quarterly to reflect the latest sales of allowances.
