BALTIMORE — Baltimore Gas and Electric has expanded its Customer Relief Fund as customers are experiencing sticker shock this winter.
“My jaw dropped to the floor. It doubled, it straight up doubled. Why?” Steve Clift Jr. said.
Clift Jr. says his typical bill is somewhere around $200. This time was closer to $550.
Behind on BGE bills? There's help, but only if you qualify
The utility reports in collaboration with the United Way of Central Maryland, it’s able to provide an additional $2.5 million in relief credits between $200 and $500.
“My responsibility is first and foremost to advocate for our customers, especially during the winter months when rising energy supply costs and colder weather can drive bills higher, placing a real burden on families,” Tamla Olivier, president and CEO of BGE said in a statement. “While BGE does not control the price of electric and gas, we can control how we support our customers and show up for our communities.”
Last summer, the fund supported more than 31,000 customers according to BGE. The new application opens on Wednesday, January 21st at 8 a.m.
But, it’s limited in who actually qualifies.
According to BGE, customers who will be considered must have a past-due balance of at least $250 and be either:
- Limited-income
- Moderate-income/Asset Limited
- Income Constrained
- Employed (ALICE) criteria
Customers who received a CRF credit in 2025 are also not eligible. Currently, all service turn-off notices have been canceled according to the Maryland Public Service Commission.
For Clift Jr., it’s a wash. He says he’s tried for apply for assistance in the past, but made too much money. As a single father of two, he reluctantly paid his heating bill.
“I was so mad and that's 'cause I knew I was broke. As soon as I paid it, I knew I was broke,” he said. "BGE took all of my extra money. Every penny of it. And that's ridiculous. And I feel like Maryland needs to stand up and Wes Moore needs to do something"
For him, nothing has changed month to month. He keeps a towel under the door to keep the heat in. Sets the temperature to 68 Fahrenheit while he’s work.
But a perfect storm was brewing out of his, and all ratepayers', control.
A colder December, combined with rate increases last year and higher demand for energy supply across the PJM grid, has caused the higher bills. At the moment, it appears there is no end in sight.
“Everybody’s feeling it,” AARP Maryland utility advocate and chair of the Maryland Energy Advocates Coalition Laurel Peltier said. “You have two rates, you have delivery and supply. Both of them have gone up [in Maryland].”
To add insult to injury, Clift Jr.’s truck broke down this week, but nothing was leftover.
“BGE took all of my extra money. Every penny of it. And that's ridiculous. And I feel like Maryland needs to stand up and Wes Moore needs to do something,” Clift said. “We’re being robbed.”
He’s not the only one making sacrifices in the name of a BGE bill.
“Making a lot of hard decisions to make the right decisions to keep heat, stay warm,” Donna Brown said.
Brown has turned her passion project of crocheting into a life line as her BGE bill has tripled since she moved into this one bedroom apartment a few years ago.
In Focus look at bills related to energy issues in Maryland
“If I gotta get food, I’ll sell a hat set,” she explained.
On a fixed income, Brown qualifies for energy assistance through the state. Even so, she still has trouble keeping up.
"Every time you turn around, you pay your bill, you get help, here come another turn off notice," she said.
So, while there may be no solution in the near future to reduce the higher bills, Peltier, says ratepayers have to be proactive about seeking out energy-efficient solutions. That includes renters.
“Mid-Atlantic homes are notoriously drafty, and I don't think it mattered 15, 10 years ago because our bills really weren't that high,” Peltier said. “It’s time to start making our homes more energy efficient.”
She recommends everyone sign up for community solar, which can save customers 20-25%, and taking advantage of BGE’s Smart Energy Saver program for rebates on heaters and insulation.
If you’re a renter, she says, you can talk to your landlord to help clean the HVAC, which can also cause high electrical usage.