BGE addresses concerns after customers in the Baltimore area see big increase in electric bills
BALTIMORE -- Many BGE customers across the Baltimore area are seeing extreme increases in their electric bills this month. Some said they were billed $200 more than the previous billing cycle.
BGE announced some utility bill increases are to be expected over the first six months of the year, however, customers say this kind of increase is unfair.
Laura Kump has lived in Churchville for four years. She said her energy bill has never spiked this much.
"The thermostat is always a stigma in a household, so my husband and I kind of looked at each other like, 'is this you? Is this me?'" Kump said.
Kump said her December bill was $274.69, which is pretty standard, but the following billing cycle is costing her $481.
"That kind of increase, yes, was a surprise, and we're a single-income family, so those kinds of increases, especially unexpectedly, really take a big hit on us," Kump said.
BGE addresses bill concerns
BGE spokesperson Nick Alexopolus cleared up the confusion.
"It's not surprising after a month that we saw a lot of cold weather, and generally people are home more because it's the holidays, so they're using more energy, for bills to be higher than in previous months," Alexopolus said.
Alexopolus explains there are price hikes that began on the first of January, which on average, should have been about $7.77.
By June, customers should expect roughly a $26 increase to their monthly bill -- 36% of which is for BGE distribution costs, and the other 64% is driven by other factors, such as an increased EmPOWER fee.
Alexopolus said these increases will likely be reflected in the next billing cycle and have nothing to do with what people are seeing now.
"If it's colder outside, you're going to use more energy. Right?" Alexopolus said. "To heat your house, rather than bringing your house from the outdoor temperature of 55 to 68 degrees, you're bringing your house from the outdoor temperature of 32 degrees to 68 degrees, and that is going to take more energy."
How can you save?
Alexopolus urged people to drop their thermostats a couple of degrees and adjust their water heaters to 120 degrees to save money.
"We've been turning it down when we leave and at night as well," Kump said. "We have a wood stove downstairs, so it doesn't heat the whole house but we're trying to use that more to compensate for some of the spending of the electricity."
BGE also offers energy assistance resources for people struggling to pay their bills.