Customer Information

Citizens’ Electric Company has certified to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission that this is an accurate, electronic representation of the tariff which is officially filed at the Commission. Users of electronic tariffs should note, however, that such tariffs are not the official documents, and users assume responsibility for reliance upon tariffs in electronic format.

The Tariff is available for inspection and review at the Citizens’ Electric corporate office, 1775 Industrial Blvd., Lewisburg, PA. Printed copies may be obtained at a cost of $1.00 per printed tariff page, payable in advance. Please mail a check made payable to “Citizens’ Electric” and a request indicating the desired page(s) to: Citizens’ Electric Co. 1775 Industrial Blvd., Lewisburg, PA 17837, Attn: Kathy Stauder. Allow two weeks for delivery.

Citizens’ Electric procures energy for its customers that do not choose a supplier. This procurement is completed through a competitive bid process. The results of our last solicitation for default energy service for the period June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2025 are available here. All Generation Supply Service Rates (GSSR) are a straight pass-through; Citizens’ Electric does not profit from these charges nor do the GSSRs include any regulated distribution costs. Please refer to the Tariff download above for complete information regarding rates.

GSSR-1 is the unregulated, wholesale cost of the energy product that Citizens’ Electric purchases and delivers to default service residential customers and commercial customers where peak load is less than 400 kW. GSSR-1 is 10.966 ¢/kWh for the period December 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024. 

On or about April 15, 2024 we will file a petition with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to adjust GSSR-1 to reflect current energy costs and market conditions. Pending a formal review by the PUC, the new GSSR-1 rate will be effective June 1, 2024 through November 30, 2024. Refer to Citizens’ Electric’s PUC approved Tariff for more information.

GSSR-2 applies only to commercial and industrial customers where peak load is greater than 400 kW. It is an Administrative Adder that includes a fixed wholesale supplier adder and Citizens’ Electric’s related administrative costs. GSSR-2 is 0.331 ¢/kWh  for the period June 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. On or about October 15, 2023 we will file a petition with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to adjust GSSR-2 to reflect current administrative expenses. Pending a formal review by the PUC, the new GSSR-2 Administrative Adder will be effective January 1, 2024 through May 31, 2024. Please note that additional charges for Energy, Capacity, Transmission and RTEP apply. Refer to Citizens’ Electric’s PUC approved Tariff for more information.

You can apply online for service at new or existing locations in Citizens’ Electric’s territory using the buttons above.

Downloadable Service Application Forms

Application forms can be downloaded using the buttons above.

Scans or photos of completed applications or tax forms can be sent via email to billing@citizenselectric.com. 

Forms can also be faxed to 570-524-5887 or mailed to:

Citizens’ Electric Company
1775 Industrial Blvd
Lewisburg PA 17837

Downloadable Tax Forms

If your account is tax exempt, please complete a tax-exemption form listing your taxable percentage and your tax exemption number issued by the state (this is different than your tax ID number). If you have multiple accounts in your name and any of them are tax exempt, please also complete a usage statement explaining the exemption reasons. This information is required by the PA Dept. of Revenue. 

More information about PA Sales Tax is available at https://revenue-pa.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/c/13,109

As a residential utility customer, you have many important rights and responsibilities to ensure fair dealings between you and your utility company.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has updated its Standards and Billing Practices for Residential Service. “Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Utility Consumer” is a booklet prepared by the PUC to explain the rules regarding a utility’s billing, credit, dispute handling and shutoff practices.

Citizens’ Electric will continue to provide you with safe and reliable utility service, clear and concise bills, and fair policies. You, the consumer, should know your rights and fulfill your responsibilities to maintain your service.

As a residential utility customer, you have the right:

• to safe and reliable service.
• to clear, precise and accurate billing.
• to fair credit and deposit policies.
• to know how your bill is calculated and how to tell if it is too high.
• to question or disagree with your utility.
• to personal privacy.
  • Citizens’ Electric has the responsibility of safeguarding your information against unauthorized use.

As a residential utility customer, you also have the responsibility:

• to pay your bill on time.
• to provide Citizens’ Electric with access to its meter.
• to give Citizens’ Electric at least 7 days notice before you move or wish to discontinue service.
  • If you fail to notify Citizens’ Electric you remain responsible to pay the bills.

You may qualify for special protections if you:

• Are a victim of domestic violence and have a Protection From Abuse Order.
• Live in a low-income household.
• Are seriously ill or a member of your household is seriously ill.
  • You will be required to provide proof.

This useful booklet also includes information about various payment options for your utility bill; understanding the components of your utility bill; policies regarding security deposits; steps and rules about utility shutoffs; and how to shop for electricity or natural gas.

Download “Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Utility Consumer” for all the answers to questions about billing, credit, disputes, and shut-off practices. Or, call us at (570) 524-2231 to request a free copy.

For those residential customers who may have difficulty managing their accounts, who may possibly miss a delinquent notice or who may be away from home for extended periods of time, Citizens’ Electric Company offers a “Double Notice Protection” program.

After efforts to collect a past due bill have been unsuccessful, a disconnection notice is sent to the customer stating that service will be cut off after a specified date. As a courtesy, the “Double Notice Protection” program ensures that a copy of that same delinquent notice is mailed to a designated third party as an additional reminder to help solve the problem and avoid disconnection. Sending a copy of the disconnection notice to the third party does not place any obligation on that party to pay the bill, nor will it defer or prevent the disconnection of the electric service. It merely provides a means to prevent the notice from being overlooked.

If you want Double Notice Protection simply download the form, complete it and return it to us.

You can also request Double Notice Protection by logging into SmartHub and selecting:
Contact Us > Report an Issue/Inquiry > Other Issues/General Inquiry .
Then choose Double Notice Protection Request as an Inquiry Type.

We will keep the procedure in effect until you notify us. Citizens’ Electric will make every effort to provide third party notices, however, the person making this request agrees that the company incurs no liability for failure to do so for any reason.

The Pennsylvania law contained in 66 Pa.C.S.A. § 1529.1 has some provisions that landlords and tenants should be aware of.

If you’re an owner of an apartment building or mobile home park where the tenants are responsible for their utility bill, the law requires that each unit must be “individually metered”, i.e. the meter must register the usage exclusively for that unit. If the meter also records usage for something outside the unit such as common area lighting, furnace, etc. or for another unit, the unit is considered “not individually metered” and you must notify the electric, gas, water, steam or sewage utility. This is known as “foreign load”.

Under the law, the utilities are authorized and required to place the account in the landlord’s name effective the date they become aware of the “foreign load”. The landlord then becomes responsible for the utility service and the account must remain in the landlord’s name until the “foreign load” situation is corrected.

The law also provides protection for tenants. One provision states that if a landlord fails to pay the utility bill, to avoid possible termination of utility service tenants can pay the bill and deduct that amount from the rent. Another provision protects tenants against landlord retaliation.

If you have questions, please call Citizens’ Electric at (570) 524-2231.

Recognizing the need to protect responsible utility customers, the state of Pennsylvania passed Senate Bill 677, also known as ACT 201. ACT 201 is intended to help utilities keep costs down by setting new rules for:

• collecting on past-due accounts
• taking deposits
• payments agreements
• shutting off service

The new rules in ACT 201 do not affect the large majority of customers that choose to pay their utility bills on time. For more information about ACT 201, or about any of the financial assistance programs available to our customers, please contact us.

• Customer Notice
• Frequently Asked Questions regarding SB 201
• PUC Fact Sheet
• ACT 201

Citizens’ Electric offers a variety of convenient ways to pay your electric bill.

The full-service counter at the Company office accepts cash, checks and money orders. A walk-up payment slot is available when paying by check or money order.

Send checks and money orders to 1775 Industrial Blvd., Lewisburg, PA 17837.

Citizens’ offers a free automatic bill payment program that debits your checking or savings account on the due date each month. You can set up Auto Pay by logging into SmartHub or downloading an application today.

Pay with your credit card or an e-check using Citizens’ SmartHub solution or over the telephone using Citizens’ off-site, secured payment processing center by calling 877-487-9384. Citizens’ does not use customer rates to subsidize the cost of this service. For those customers that choose this payment method, a 3rd party payment processing firm charges a fee of $3.95 for each payment. Citizens’ Electric does not retain any portion of this fee. Credit card payments are limited to a maximum of $500. E-check payments are limited to a maximum of $25,000.

A levelized billing program is available to residential customers to even out the seasonal fluctuations in your monthly electric bills.

Citizens’ electronic bill presentation and payment solution offers instant access to your electric accounts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can view your electric bill, customer data, statements, payment history, and lots of detail about your energy usage. You can report an outage, view outage status and make service requests on line. There is also a SmartHub app for Android and Apple mobile devices.

Customers that are having difficulty paying their electric bills on time should call the Company office at (570) 524-2231 to discuss payment arrangements for past due balances.

Additional assistance may be available through LIHEAP and the Dollar Energy Fund. Pennsylvania’s “Prepare Now” program provides lots of energy conservation tips and a summary of energy assistance programs available to Pennsylvanians.

Customers experiencing hardships due to COVID-19 may be eligible for special assistance programs. It is important to contact us so we can work with you to identify potential help to get back on track.

Citizens’ Electric rates are comprised of three significant components – distribution, transmission and generation. Distribution rates recover the expenses to expand, improve, operate and maintain the substations, poles, wires and services that are necessary to deliver energy to the meter as well as all administrative and clerical functions necessary to operate the Company. Transmission is the delivery of energy from where it is generated to the distribution substations; transmission costs are included in the generation rates. Generation rates recover the cost of procuring the wholesale energy products and transmission. Generation and transmission expenses are a straight pass-through; Citizens’ does not profit or “mark up” any of these expenses. Customer Choice may provide alternatives to Citizens’ Electric’s generation supply.

Citizens’ Electric remains very competitive as your electric distribution utility. This is evidenced in the PUC’s most recent Annual Rate Comparison Report. Pages 8-10 of this report provide an easy to understand comparison by company of the components of your electric bill and total cost. 

Hundreds of families in our community struggle to pay utility bills each winter. They may have fallen upon hard times or been devastated by a family illness.

You can do something to help those less fortunate by participating in Citizens’ Electric’s Dollar Energy Fund. Your donations to the Dollar Energy Fund are a great way to let your generosity work here at home with the additional benefit of each dollar being matched by Citizens’ Electric. You may stop your donation at any time simply by notifying us.

The Dollar Energy Fund partners with community-based agencies to provide energy assistance grants to low income residential customers for electric bills. To qualify for assistance, certain guidelines must be met:

• Eligible customers must apply for all available assistance grants, including LIHEAP before applying to the Dollar Energy Fund.
• They must meet the grant program guidelines, including making a sincere effort of payment – at least $150 on their account in the last 90 days; 62 or older must have paid at least $100 in the last 90 days.
• Applicants must have an outstanding balance of at least $100.

Applications for the Dollar Energy Fund are only accepted between March 1 and October 1 each year. They are available at the Citizens’ Electric office or they can be downloaded here. Please speak to a company representative for detailed grant information.

The Dollar Energy Fund makes all decisions on who receives help and how much based on specific family or individual needs. They direct help where it’s needed most.

The Dollar Energy Fund is the third largest non-profit fuel fund organization in the United States and includes many Pennsylvania utilities, all helping to provide energy assistance to low income families.

The partner utility companies match every dollar donated; 100 percent of the contributions are used to provide energy grants to in-need customers. 

Phone: 1-800-683-7036
www.dollarenergy.org

A copy of the Official Registration and Financial Information of the Dollar Energy Fund, Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

• Add $1 or more per month to your electric bill
  Your contribution will go into the grant program; Citizens’ Electric will match every dollar donated. Your $1 becomes $2 to help neighbors in need. All contributions are matched 100% and every penny from those funds is used to provide energy assistance grants.

• It’s simple to donate using any of these methods:
  • Check the box on your electric bill, enter a monthly amount and return it to Citizens’ Electric.
  • Call us at 570-524-2231 or message us to set up your donation.
  • Sign into SmartHub  and enter your recurring monthly donation under the Billing and Payments tab. You can unenroll at any time.
  • Mail a check for a one-time donation to Citizens’ Electric Dollar Energy Fund, 1775 Industrial Blvd, Lewisburg PA 17837.

• It’s that easy to make a difference
  You contribute and Citizens’ Electric matches it. The money is tax deductible and stays in the community. 

Citizens’ Electric periodically sends important printed Company correspondence to our customers. This information is usually included with the traditional electric bill as received in the mail. For those customers that have chosen to receive their electric bill electronically, we have provided the same information here.

Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the need to reduce consumption of our energy resources. On the surface, the supply of fuels that heat and cool our homes, energize our industries, and drive our transportation appear to be abundant, and to some, endless. However, the fact of the matter is, supplies of fossil fuels are indeed, quite finite.

There are other reasons why we should conserve energy, too. Cost is certainly a significant factor. The most inexpensive and environmentally responsible energy is energy that is not consumed. This new era in which energy needs to be treated as a precious commodity has caused many consumers to make significant changes in the way they use energy; we all need to do our share to conserve. Preserving air and water quality, and reducing carbon emissions are also part of our individual responsibilities. 

Energy efficiency is the reduction of energy use, while still obtaining a similar outcome. An example is replacing an incandescent light bulb with an LED light bulb. Energy conservation is simply reduction.

Every home is a complex energy system – from heating and air conditioning, to cooking, lighting, water heating, refrigeration and even entertainment. We encourage our customers to take control of their energy consumption. Taking control doesn’t mean doing without, but it does require some changes in our energy management strategies.

Citizens’ Electric has made available a complete suite of interactive home energy and appliance energy calculators. The suite also includes an abundance of educational and informational materials for adults and children. In addition, by logging into our account access tool called SmartHub, you can download your energy consumption history in a format compatible with online analysis tools such as the Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick.

Citizens’ Electric is very aware of our customers’ concerns about the rising cost of electricity. We also recognize that our local community cares about preserving our energy resources as well as the environment. We hope the tools and information that we have provided will help our consumers make informed efficiency and conservation decisions.

Citizens’ Price to Compare (PTC) is adjusted semi-annually to reflect current energy costs and market conditions. It is applicable to all residential customers and commercial customers where peak load is less than 400 kW. The PTC includes Generation, Transmission & the State Tax Adjustment Surcharge.

The Price to Compare for December 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024 is 10.964 ¢/kWh. 

On or about April 15, 2023 the Company will file a petition with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to adjust the PTC to reflect current energy costs and market conditions. Pending a formal review by the PUC, the new PTC will be effective June 1, 2024 through November 30, 2024.

Customer Information Release
Citizens’ Electric sent a letter to all customers with instructions about releasing or restricting the release of their customer information to alternative electric generation suppliers. Click here to review the letter.

What You Need to Know
Electric Choice gives customers the option of choosing their Electric Generation Supplier (EGS). It also allows the customer to select a generator based on price, products and incentives as well as personal preferences as to the type of generation to purchase, such as nuclear, coal, or green energy products such as solar and wind energy. Electric Choice will not change the industry’s tradition toward safety, reliability and maintenance.

What Are You Choosing?
Customers will be choosing the EGS, which is the company that generates their electricity. The Electric Distribution Company (EDC) will still deliver the electricity to the customer’s home or business, respond to outages and maintain the local distribution system (the poles and wires).

Be an Informed Shopper

• It’s important to be an informed shopper. Keep in mind, contracts are legal agreements.
• Some suppliers could require fees or penalties for terminating agreements or switching suppliers.
• Compare offers from more than one supplier.
• Compare the supplier’s price per kWh with Citizens’ Price to Compare noted above.
• Use the list of questions below to evaluate and compare suppliers.

After you have shopped for the best deal and carefully reviewed the information from different suppliers, you must:

• Inform the EGS of your choice.
• That EGS will notify the Company of your desire to obtain generation from them.
• Within one (1) business day after accepting the Customer enrollment, the Company will send the Customer a Confirmation Letter.
• Within three (3) business days after accepting the Customer enrollment, the Company will transfer the account to the selected EGS.

Questions to Ask Suppliers

• Are you licensed by the PUC?
• What is the length of this agreement?
• Will the price stay the same for the entire time?
• Is there a penalty for canceling before the time is up?
• Or for switching suppliers?
• Do you offer special pricing options?
• Do you offer interruptible or time-of-day rates?
• Does my rate depend on how much electricity I use?
• Or when I use it?
• Do I need a special meter? Is there a charge for the meter?
• What steps must I take to switch suppliers?
• Is there an access or exit fee for starting/stopping supply?
• Do you have a budget billing option?
• Do you participate in low income assistance programs?