Delaware Electric Customers Face Interim Delmarva Power Rate Increase While $67.8 Million Case Continues
A temporary Delmarva Power electric rate increase took effect July 9 in the utility’s Delaware service territory while regulators review a separate $67.8 million base-rate request.
Delmarva Power customers in the utility’s Delaware service territory may already be seeing higher electric bills after a temporary electric rate increase took effect July 9. The Delaware Public Service Commission’s implementation notice says the interim increase will remain in place while the commission reviews Delmarva’s pending request for $67,783,312 in additional annual operating revenue.
The July increase is not the final result of PSC Docket No. 25-1555. The commission can approve the utility’s request in full, reduce or reject it, use a different allocation among customer classes, or require refunds or proration where applicable.
The immediate bill change
The interim rate applies to Delmarva Power’s Delaware service territory. It does not automatically apply to every electric customer in the state, because Delaware customers may receive service from different utilities or under different arrangements.
The amount any customer pays will vary by rate class, electricity use, service configuration and other charges on the bill. The PSC’s implementation notice confirms the July 9 effective date and temporary status but does not establish one universal monthly increase for all customers.
Customers whose billing periods include or follow the July 9 effective date may see the interim adjustment reflected on bills issued after the change took effect. The final treatment will depend on the commission’s continuing review and any later order.
What Delmarva requested
Delmarva’s pending application seeks $67,783,312 in additional annual base-rate revenue. The PSC’s public notice for Docket No. 25-1555 describes the request as an average 21.7% increase over existing base rates.
That figure is a proposal from the utility, not an approved permanent increase. The proceeding covers electric base rates and certain tariff changes across Delmarva’s listed service classifications. A customer’s actual result could differ from the stated average because any approved changes may be allocated differently among residential, commercial and other classes.
Why the increase is temporary
The PSC is reviewing the utility’s filing, the evidence supporting its costs and the objections or recommendations presented during the rate case. The commission’s public notice says it may approve or reject the proposed increase and tariff revisions in whole or in part and may apply a different method for allocating any increase it approves.
Because the interim charge is subject to the final outcome, the commission may require refunds or proration where the final decision calls for them. Those provisions describe possible regulatory adjustments; they do not mean refunds have been ordered or are certain to occur.
The interim implementation is therefore not a final decision on Delmarva’s full request. The permanent rate outcome will determine whether the temporary increase continues, changes or is adjusted under the commission’s order.
A separate supply-rate increase also affects bills
The Delmarva base-rate case should not be confused with the Standard Offer Service supply-rate increase that began June 1. The supply charge covers the cost of electricity purchased for eligible customers, while the base-rate proceeding concerns the utility’s regulated electric rates and tariff changes.
Both changes can affect a customer’s total bill, but they arise from separate regulatory actions. The State of Delaware’s explanation of the June supply-rate change distinguishes that charge from Delmarva’s separate pending base-rate application.
What Delmarva says is driving the request
Delmarva has pointed to infrastructure upgrades, reliability work, regional generation pressures and related operating needs in explaining its request. Those are the company’s stated reasons for seeking additional revenue, not findings by the PSC that the full amount is justified.
Spotlight Delaware reported that regulators scrutinized the request and that Delmarva disputed the state’s handling of the rate increase. The company’s explanation of infrastructure spending, reliability and regional supply pressures was also discussed in an interview with Delaware Public Media.
How customers can weigh in
Residents, businesses and other members of the public can participate in the PSC’s public comment session on August 19, 2026, at 6 p.m. The PSC notice says the session will be available virtually or in person.
For now, the July 9 interim increase remains in effect while the rate case proceeds. The next reporting checkpoint is the PSC’s continuing review and any subsequent filing or order addressing the permanent request and the treatment of the interim rates.
Sources
- Delaware Public Service Commission interim-rate implementation notice
- State explanation of the separate Standard Offer Service increase
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