rate hikes
Contact Your Legislators and Stop Out of Control Utility Bills!
Background In 2013, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to allow gas utilities to add a surcharge to customers' bills as an incentive for utilities to install new pipes– the STRIDE program. As passed, the law does not require utilities to prioritize cost effectiveness nor safety resulting in excessive and wasteful spending. Gas utilities have spent billions on new pipes and equipment, leading to massive rate hikes. Utilities have reaped enormous profits without commensurate community benefits. For example: In 2023 BGE spent about $160 million on its STRIDE plan. After accounting for BGE’s profits and interest, that $160 million will cost ...
Protect Consumers from BGE Rate Hikes
On September 29, Economic Action Maryland and thirteen other organizations submitted a comment letter to the Public Service Commission opposing BGE's $602.4 million rate increase. The Public Service Commission needed to hear that many more citizens care about this rate hike that is not transparent, foists the costs of BGE’s infrastructure investments onto households and is likely to increase costs by $810 per household which will harm low-income, and disproportionately Black and Brown households throughout BGE’s footprint. Many households who are living paycheck to paycheck earn just above the threshold to qualify for assistance but certainly cannot afford to subsidize BGE’s ...