As its name indicates, a supplier provides electricity service to customers and businesses in its market. Often, it involves using the utility’s infrastructure to achieve this. A supplier might also market its service to inform you of price comparisons in the area, especially if it offers lower rates than Penelec.
Meanwhile, a utility’s responsibility is to maintain the infrastructure associated with electricity distribution. It includes repairing downed power lines, responding to any service outages, and making improvements. Moreover, if you have an account with them, it will provide all account management services from setting up accounts to processing payments.