HOW TO COPE WITH A NEW SPIKE IN BGE’S POWER BILLS 

Get control of your BGE bill in 6 steps

August 2025 Laurel Peltier, Chair, Maryland Energy Advocates Coalition. Email: greenlaurel7@comcast.net

Baltimore’s rainy, cool spring has been a much-needed reprieve for our winter sky-high BGE bills. Everything touching energy bills went haywire in 2025. This Maryland Office of People's Counsel fact sheet explains why. 

Buckle up because come September, BGE electricity rates will spike again.  BGE residential accounts will pay the highest all-in electricity rates in decades.

In order for Maryland utility bills to drop, a few things need to happen. First, the PJM grid needs more energy load given AI’s demands (the cleaner energy, the better). Our state legislators and regulators need to continue the drive and focus on affordability with our regulated utilities and our regional PJM grid.  These fixes are long term though.

In order to lower your BGE bill now, you will need to take action. This real-world guide will help you. 

Steps 1 through 4 are quick and painless. You will save at least 10% off your electricity bill and be a smarter utility customer. While Steps 5 through 7 take more effort, the payout is bigger. And if you decide to wait on bigger energy efficiency steps, at least you know where to go when you’re ready. All the web links suggested in this guide are found at the end in a handy chart.

A note for renters: It’s tough to control a utility bill for a building you don’t own. Step #8 shares plenty of programs to help you make your rental’s utility bill affordable.

Good luck! Laurel