In short: Allentown and Bethlehem are on PPL Electric, Easton on FirstEnergy’s Met-Ed. PPL customers averaged 90 minutes of outages on normal days in 2024 but 455 with major storms, five times as much (EIA). PPL now pays home battery owners up to $400 a season to help at peak hours.
This page covers what is different in the Lehigh Valley: two utilities, PPL’s 2026 rate and net metering changes, its battery and EV rewards, and where to get permits. For statewide rules, see our Pennsylvania energy guide.
Lehigh Valley at a glance
- PPL Electric Utilities: serves Allentown and Bethlehem. Homes buying PPL’s own supply paid about 17.0¢ per kWh on average in 2024. Outages: 455 minutes per customer with major events, 90 without; 1.25 interruptions a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Met-Ed (FirstEnergy Pennsylvania): serves Easton; some Easton-area ZIP codes are split with PPL. Across all FirstEnergy Pennsylvania districts, homes paid about 17.4¢ per kWh and customers averaged 403 minutes of outages with major events, 221 without (EIA-861, 2024).
- Price to compare (October 2026): PPL 13.08¢ and Met-Ed 13.95¢ per kWh for regular home service, supply only (PAPowerSwitch, the Public Utility Commission’s shopping site).
- Shopping: 38% of PPL households bought supply from another company in 2024, the highest share among Pennsylvania’s big utilities (EIA).
- Sun: about 3.86 kWh per square meter per day in Allentown (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,130 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Lehigh County “very high” for cold waves and winter weather and Northampton County “very high” for winter weather; both are “relatively high” for flooding and lightning.
- Public charging: 149 public ports in Allentown, 84 in Bethlehem and 76 in Easton (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Check the name on your bill: PPL or Met-Ed owns the wires, restores outages and approves solar. Either way you can buy supply from another company; compare offers with your utility’s price to compare on PAPowerSwitch.
- PPL, 2026 rates: the Public Utility Commission approved PPL’s rate settlement in June 2026. From July 1, a typical home using 1,000 kWh a month pays about $6.48 more, 3.23% (PPL). PPL says it will not raise base distribution rates again for at least two years.
- PPL, solar: exports beyond what you use go into a kWh bank on your bill, and excess left at year end is paid at PPL’s price to compare. The 2026 settlement also changed net metering. An industry report says many new systems will get export credits based on hourly prices, with a limited amount of capacity grandfathered. Ask PPL which rules your system falls under before you sign; details are on our state page.
- PPL, batteries: Optimized Battery pays $150 per kW your battery supplies to your home during peak hours each season, up to $400 a season. Summer peaks run 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays (June to August); winter peaks run 6 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. (January and February). PPL says it never fully drains the battery.
- PPL, EVs: Optimized EV Charging (up to $120 a year; Tesla, ChargePoint or Emporia) lets PPL schedule charging around peaks. EV Off-Peak Rewards (up to $60 a year, limited to 2,000 customers) pays if at least 80% of your charging is off-peak.
- Met-Ed: small inverter systems up to 10 kW use FirstEnergy’s simplest interconnection application, and you send proof of an electrical inspection before switch-on. FirstEnergy has proposed its own net metering changes (state page).
Backup power in the Lehigh Valley
PPL’s 2024 record shows how much a few storm days count: about an hour and a half without power on ordinary days, but seven and a half hours once major events were included. Winter is the high-risk season here, with both counties rated very high for winter weather, and a winter outage stops furnace blowers, boiler pumps and well pumps in the rural townships. Plan for the storm outage that lasts a day or more.
A home battery covers the furnace, fridge, sump pump and lights for hours and, with PPL’s Optimized Battery program, can earn money the rest of the year. For multi-day outages or a well pump, a generator on a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician is more dependable. A portable power station handles phones, Wi-Fi and medical devices. Run any generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage (CPSC). Compare in backup power, size with the battery backup calculator or generator sizing tool, and read generator installation.
Solar in the Lehigh Valley
By our rough estimate, panels here make about 1,130 kWh a year per kW, a little less than in Philadelphia and more than in Scranton. PPL had more net-metered home solar than any other Pennsylvania utility in 2024: 27,443 systems, 252 MW (EIA). The open question is the export credit. If your system falls under the new hourly-price credits, power you use yourself is worth more than power you send out, so a system sized to your daytime use, or paired with a battery, pays back best. Check your roof with the solar potential tool, run the solar savings calculator with a real quote, and read net metering explained and solar installation.
Batteries in the Lehigh Valley
PPL’s own example: a battery that supplies 1.5 kW during peak hours earns $225 a season, so $450 a year if it takes part in both seasons. The payment is for powering your own home during peaks, not for exporting. From the January 2027 season, payments may be prorated if the battery misses events, so keep it online. That income, plus backup and the possible shift to hourly export credits, gives a battery a stronger case in PPL territory than where no such program exists. Met-Ed customers in Easton should ask FirstEnergy what applies; we found no confirmed FirstEnergy battery program. See home battery installation and battery cost.
EV charging in the Lehigh Valley
Allentown has 149 public ports, Bethlehem 84 and Easton 76 (AFDC, October 3, 2026). At home, a Level 2 charger needs a 240 V circuit from a licensed electrician and a permit. PPL customers can earn up to $120 a year by letting PPL schedule charging, or up to $60 by charging off-peak themselves. Both programs avoid summer weekday afternoons and winter mornings and evenings. Estimate costs with the EV charging calculator and read EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Allentown: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Bethlehem: the city’s Code Enforcement bureau issues building and electrical permits; application forms are on its Forms & Permits page.
- Allentown and Easton: each city issues its own building and electrical permits; ask the city’s permit office. Townships do the same under Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code, with their own staff or a certified third-party agency (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry).
- Utility: solar and grid-tied batteries need PPL’s or Met-Ed’s approval before they are switched on.
- Licenses and HOAs: electricians are licensed locally in Pennsylvania, so ask your municipality what it requires; get HOA approval in writing before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Allentown
- Bethlehem
- Easton
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Lehigh Valley energy FAQ
Is Easton on PPL or Met-Ed?
The city of Easton is in Met-Ed’s territory, part of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, but some Easton-area ZIP codes are split with PPL. Your bill names your utility, and that company’s interconnection, net metering and program rules apply.
Did PPL change net metering in 2026?
The Public Utility Commission approved PPL’s rate settlement in June 2026, including changes to net metering. An industry report says many new systems will be credited for exports at hourly prices rather than the full rate, with some capacity grandfathered. Ask PPL which rules apply before you sign.
How much does PPL pay for a home battery?
$150 per kW your battery supplies to your home during peak hours each season, up to $400 a season, under PPL’s Optimized Battery program. Seasons are June to August and January to February, on weekdays. PPL’s example of 1.5 kW earns $225 a season.
Why did my PPL bill go up in July 2026?
New distribution rates took effect on July 1, 2026, adding about $6.48 a month (3.23%) for a home using 1,000 kWh, according to PPL. The supply part of your bill depends on PPL’s price to compare or your supplier’s contract.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages, supplier customers and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. Price to compare: PAPowerSwitch, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (read October 3, 2026). PPL rate decision: PPL release filed with the SEC, June 4, 2026. PPL net metering page, Optimized Battery and Optimized EV Charging pages, and PPL’s EV charging options sheet (2026). Net metering change: industry report cited on our state page. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania interconnection page. City of Bethlehem Code Enforcement. Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Uniform Construction Code. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.