What TOU is really worth
For a 1,000 kWh/month PA home paying a roughly 9.876¢/kWh PTC, shifting just two loads a day (the dishwasher and one laundry cycle) outside the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekday peak typically saves $150 to $215 per year. EV owners who charge overnight can multiply that several times over. The catch: if you use central air conditioning during the afternoon peak without changing behavior, TOU can cost you more than the standard flat rate.
How PPL's Time-of-Use rate works
A TOU rate charges different per-kWh prices depending on when you use electricity. The PA grid, run by PJM, is most stressed on weekday afternoons when offices, schools and homes all draw power at once. Suppliers pay much higher wholesale prices in those hours, and TOU plans pass that signal through to your meter.
PPL's residential TOU plan (Rate Schedule RTS) divides every hour of the year into two windows:
Peak: Mon to Fri 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Higher per-kWh rate. Roughly 14% of the hours in the year. Excludes federal holidays.
Off-peak: every other hour
Lower per-kWh rate. Nights, early mornings, full weekends and holidays. Roughly 86% of the year.
Exact peak / off-peak rates change each PTC cycle (June 1 and December 1). Check the current rates on the PPL Electric rates page before enrolling.
Sample savings: a 1,000 kWh PA home
Approximate numbers using the May 2026 PPL PTC of about 9.876¢/kWh and a representative TOU spread (peak around 16¢/kWh, off-peak around 7¢/kWh). Real savings depend on your appliance mix and how strictly you shift loads.
| Household profile | Standard rate (PTC) | TOU with shifting | Annual swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| No behavior change (status quo) | ~$1,185/yr supply | ~$1,260/yr supply | +$75 (costs more) |
| Shifts dishwasher and laundry off-peak | ~$1,185/yr supply | ~$1,005/yr supply | −$180 (saves ~15%) |
| EV charging overnight, pre-cool home before 2 p.m. | ~$1,780/yr supply | ~$1,335/yr supply | −$445 (saves ~25%) |
Source: PPL Electric Tariff No. 201 Schedule RTS; representative load-shifting assumptions per PA PUC dynamic-pricing pilot summaries.
Who benefits from PPL's TOU rate, and who does not
TOU is a behavior contract, not a discount. The bigger the share of your electric load that can move off the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekday window, the better the math.
Good fit
- ✓EV owners who can plug in after 6 p.m. and let the car charge overnight;
- ✓Heat-pump or electric-water-heater households able to pre-heat / pre-cool the home before 2 p.m.;
- ✓Work-from-home families who can run laundry, dishwasher, oven and pool pump on a delay timer;
- ✓Solar self-consumers whose panels cover most weekday afternoon load anyway.
Poor fit
- ×Households running central A/C non-stop through summer afternoons without precooling;
- ×Families with small children at home for lunch / nap routines and unable to defer cooking and laundry;
- ×Anyone medically dependent on continuous high-load equipment (oxygen concentrators with backup heating, dialysis) on weekday afternoons;
- ×Renters whose appliances lack timers and who cannot install smart plugs.
How to enroll in PPL Time-of-Use
There are two paths to a TOU rate at PPL, depending on whether you keep PPL as your supplier or pick a competitive EGS.
Confirm you have a PPL AMI smart meter
PPL completed its smart-meter rollout in 2014; today roughly 99% of accounts have one. If yours has a digital display and PPL reports hourly usage in My Account, you are eligible.
Pick your TOU supplier
PPL offers its own default RTS tariff. You can also pick a competitive TOU offer from a licensed EGS at PAPowerSwitch.com. Either way, PPL still delivers your power and bills you.
Call PPL or your supplier to switch
For PPL's default TOU rate, call 1-800-342-5775. For an EGS, enroll directly on the supplier's site; the switch takes effect on your next meter-read date (typically 1 to 2 cycles).
Use PPL's online Energy Analyzer for one full cycle
The free tool inside My Account shows hourly kWh use. After one bill, you can see exactly which loads need shifting and whether TOU is paying off.
Switch back free of charge if it does not work
PPL's default TOU has no termination fee. Competitive EGS TOU contracts may have one; read the disclosure before enrolling and aim for month-to-month or 6-month terms while you test the rate.
Five low-effort load-shifting tactics
Heating, cooling and EV charging dominate household electricity use. Move the biggest loads first; small appliances barely move the needle.
Pre-cool before 2 p.m.
Set thermostat to 72°F at noon, then 78°F at 2 p.m. The house coasts through peak hours without the compressor running hard.
Delay-start dishwasher
Load it after dinner; press the 6-hour delay so it runs around midnight. Most modern dishwashers have this button.
Schedule EV charging
Set the car or charger to begin at 8 p.m. A 40 kWh top-up off-peak rather than on-peak saves around $4 per session at typical spreads.
Timer on pool pump and water heater
$15 smart plugs or built-in timers cut off these loads during peak hours. Both can run overnight without comfort impact.
Slow-cook, do not oven-roast on weekday afternoons
A 1.5 kW slow cooker running 8 hours uses less peak-hour energy than a 4 kW oven running 1 hour. Plan accordingly.
Stack with PPL E-Power rebates
A smart thermostat ($40 to $150 rebate via the E-Power program) automates pre-cooling, so the savings happen even when you forget.
Three caveats before you switch
- !Delivery and distribution charges do not change. TOU only affects the supply (generation) line, which is roughly 50% to 60% of a typical PPL bill. Savings apply to that share only.
- !Rates reset twice a year. Like the standard PTC, the TOU supply rate adjusts on June 1 and December 1. Re-check the peak / off-peak spread after each reset.
- !Behavior fades. Most households save in month 1 and slip back to old habits by month 6. Setting timers, smart plugs and thermostat schedules locks the savings in automatically.
More on PPL Electric pricing
Current PPL Price to Compare
Default supply rate and historical reset trend.
Understand your bill
Line-by-line decoder, including supply vs delivery.
E-Power rebates
Smart thermostats, heat pumps and LED rebates that automate load-shifting.
Pay your bill
Free auto-pay, BillMatrix, mail and walk-in options.
Customer service
Start service, supply choice, CAP / OnTrack, FAQs.
TOU pricing explained
Background guide to how peak / off-peak rates work nationwide.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
