Pennsylvanians will be hit with an increase of up to 50 percent on their energy bills starting Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). Many areas of the state will see “potentially large winter energy cost increases,” the PUC said. “Most Pennsylvania regulated electric utilities are adjusting the price they charge for the generation portion of customers’ bills on December 1 for non-shopping customers, also known as the ‘Price to Compare’ (PTC),” the PUC explained in a press release published on Nov. 22. The PUC added that the PTC averages 40 percent to 60 percent of the customer’s total utility bill, but noted that this figure varies by the utility and by the level of individual customer usage. Energy providers hiking up their prices for residential customers include Pike County Light & Power, which is used by some 4,800 customers in the northeastern part of the state. From …