Rates are set to change in Pennsylvania for those who don’t shop around for energy suppliers.

According to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, rate changes for energy suppliers will be adjusted Dec. 1, which will impact overall utility bills for both electric and natural gas.

For Warren County, the adjustments present a mixed bag of price changes.

On the electric supply end, Penelec will increase costs from 9.703 cents to 10.607 cents per kilowatt hour or by 9.3 percent. On the natural gas supply end, Columbia Gas will decrease its rate from 46.849 cents to 28.81 cents per 100 cubic feet. National Fuel will increase its gas supply rate from 30.959 cents to 36.74 cents per cubic feet.

Overall utility bill costs for electric and gas service are determined by a combination of supply charges, the actual cost of the energy used by a consumer, and distribution charges, the cost of operation and maintenance of infrastructure that delivers energy. During winter months, supply rates make up more than half of a customer’s utility bill on average, according to the commission.

In Pennsylvania, consumers either shop around for supply rates or are charged based on an energy company’s “price to compare” rate.

Across most of the state, consumers can utilize the PAPowerSwitch.com and PAGasSwitch.com websites to shop for energy providers for their electric and gas services.

The state also offers a standard offer program in which customers not competing in the competitive electricity market can opt to receive service from a competitive supplier at a rate seven percent below its current price to compare. The rate is fixed for one year.

According to the commission, “while seasonal natural gas prices for some utilities have risen in recent weeks, overall purchased gas prices in Pennsylvania are 9% to 65% lower than they were at this time last year – reducing the impact on this year’s winter heating bills.”

The commission encourages individuals struggling to meet utility costs to contact their utility provider and to explore the federally-funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program by visiting dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or calling 866-550-4355.