Standard Offer Service in D.C.

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission gave public notice that, beginning June 1, 2018, the cost of electricity supply will decrease for District consumers who secure their supply through their default provider.

That arrangement is referred to as Standard Offer Service (SOS), with the commission explaining that SOS is designed for those customers who have not chosen to purchase electricity from a licensed competitive electric provider. It related that for such "nonshopping" customers, Potomac Electric Power Company is designated as the current SOS provider.

The commission stated that the new, lower electricity rates are the result of competitive auctions for electricity supply held in December 2017 and January 2018.The commission indicated that on average, the rate for residential SOS (which consists of the generation and transmission price) will decrease by about $2.74 per month for the average user of 644 kilowatthours per month.

Overall, it said it estimates that residential SOS customers will be subject to an average decrease of about 5.3%, while small commercial SOS customers will be subject to a somewhat lower reduction of 4.3%. The commission noted that under the District's existing competitive electric supply program, residential and small commercial customers may choose from more than 30 licensed alternative electricity suppliers. (Formal Case No. 1017, Order No. 19289)