This article has been updated with a statement from Delmarva Power.
DELMARVA - Less than two weeks after dozens of Delawareans expressed frustration over a potential power bill increase, they may be in for even more sticker shock.
Delmarva Power, and its parent company Exelon, have increased their rate increase to go from the original $68.6 million to $75.8 million, a 12 percent increase, which the Delaware Division of the Public Advocate said would be the largest in Delaware history.
In a filing with the Delaware Public Service Commission, said the $7.2 million increase would cover increased operations and maintenance costs.
According to Delmarva, that would lead to a 4.93 percent increase on residential bills using an average of 834 kWh/month.
In a social media post, the DDPA wrote: "At a time when energy affordability is a real concern for Delaware families, the Public Advocate believes this larger request warrants serious scrutiny. Delawareans should not be asked to pay more on their electric bills to increase the profits of a billion-dollar corporate holding company and its shareholders. The Public Advocate will rigorously review this case and oppose any amounts that are unjust, unreasonable, or imprudent."
Delmarva also said they are modifying their non-demand rate period program, switching from the current peak hours of 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. EST (10-9 EDT) to 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. in all seasons.
According to Delmarva, just 107 of their 307,000 residential customers are enrolled in the plan aimed at having customers avoid the peak hours of air conditioning use.
"Shortening the on-peak hours to align with actual system peaks enhances price signals to better recognize that the Company’s investment in the distribution system is significantly impacted by peak system demands, encouraging more effective load shifting that would be more likely to reduce those peaks," Senior Manager of Rate Administration Joshua Masters told the DPSC.
After an Aug. 19 public hearing was marred by technical issues, a second opportunity will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.
It will be held in person at the Delaware Public Service Commission at 861 Silver Lake Road in Dover, with a virtual option available.
Exelon's stock is down 10.6% over the past 6 months, but is up 23.7 percent over the past 5 years, despite the recent struggles.
The DSPC last approved an interim increase on July 9, and if they don't make a final determination on Delmarva's rate increase by Dec. 9, there would be an additional increase to $4.50/month put into place.
UPDATE: Following this story, Delmarva Power offered the following statement:
On Aug. 31, Delmarva Power filed an update to its ongoing electric base rate case with the Delaware Public Service Commission. Known as a "12+0" filing, the update replaces previously projected information with actual financial information for the 12-month period that ended June 30, 2026. This update provides regulators with data that reflects actual investments that are benefiting customers and the costs necessary for Delmarva Power to operate and maintain the grid as regulators continue their review of the case. The filing does not represent a new rate case, but rather an update to the company's existing application using a full 12 months of actual data. This action follows the regulatory process, which requires Delmarva Power to file this information once available.
Based on these updated financial details, the average residential customer using 834 kWh per month would have an estimated bill increase of about $8, or 5 percent, if Delmarva Power’s full revenue requirement is approved in the base rate case.
The requested increase, which totals $76 million, reflects investments already made to maintain a safe, reliable grid and replace aging infrastructure to deliver the level of service customers have come to expect. As a result of these efforts, customers have experienced a 28 percent reduction in outages over the past decade, and the system has performed more reliably during major weather events. For example, during Winter Storm Hernando, despite nearly 66,000 Delmarva Power customer outages caused by blizzard conditions and damaging winds, 90% of impacted customers were restored within 24 hours, with smart grid technologies helping crews identify issues faster and restore service more efficiently.
We recognize that affordability remains a top concern for our customers, and we share those concerns. As part of our Exelon Promise, we are focusing efforts to enact changes that will drive down PJM energy supply prices – costs that the company does not control or profit from and have resulted in 90 percent of the increases to customer bills since 2024. We are also taking steps to help ensure adequate energy supply is available to meet rising demand. This includes an “all-of-the-above” strategy that is essential to continued affordability and reliability. It includes expanding renewable energy, advancing energy efficiency, advocating for market reforms and ensuring fair cost allocation of infrastructure. We also proposed enhanced rate options designed to provide a 20 percent discount to the electric delivery portion of the bill for low- to moderate-income customers as part of our rate case.
