TOWSON, Md. — It's no secret it's hot outside and like the temperature, energy bills are going to start increasing.
There may be some new hope but do people think added relief will make a dent?
WATCH: $19 million energy bill relief fund announced as BGE bills skyrocket
"One for $4700, $2900, $3300," said Earl Thomas, speaking on the BGE bills he's seen coming in to the Gedco Community Hub.
As a case manager at the organization, Thomas told WMAR 2 News that they try to provide any cost relief they can for people in need.
On Thursday Governor Moore announced more help is on the way through a $19 million relief fund.
Low to middle income families can apply for a one time grant between $250 and $750 for BGE.
Pepco and Delmarva customers can apply for a grant for up to $300.
Thomas said it's a start, but not quite enough.
"It could be a lot more for some of these families because we're starting to see enormous bills. My bill went from $170 to $454 in one month and I live by myself."
And he told WMAR 2 News that unmanageable high bills are catching everybody.
"More people who are working and got jobs and the bills are getting - it's not just low income, it's people making $40k plus coming in."
Svea Hernandez said her bills are around $400 for a house she told WMAR 2 News isn't too big.
When she and her husband moved in to their Towson home, they had two big oak trees that provided a sizable amount of shade in the summer.
But they had to cut them down after the trees started dying.
"The first summer once the trees were out of sight, we saw an increase in our electricity bill of a couple hundred dollars every month," Hernandez said.
They made small renovations to try and offset the cost.
"So we actually also changed the ac system which was on the old side and we changed to a heat pump which also does some slightly different cooling approach than what we had before. And so we saw a little improvement but not at the level the trees were providing."
She thinks people will appreciate the bill relief but worries it might not completely ease the burden.
"Depending on how bad of increases we see, that might not even make a dent in the overall expenses."
But Leigh Middleditch thinks Thursday's announcement is coming at a perfect time.
"I think that would help a lot of people. I think it would help me a lot. I know there are a lot of people nowadays who do not have a lot of income coming in and I think that programs like that and opportunities like that for people would really help out the community," Middleditch said.
Head to BGE, PEPCO, and Delmarva Power for more information.
