BGE Pauses Service Disconnections & Waives Late Fees

Source: Alex Potemkin / Getty

Following residents speaking out about increases in their BGE bills, the company has announced they’re helping out with the  “unanticipated high bills.” If you were one of the customers who saw a huge change in your bill, BGE said the high bills are due to extreme cold weather, increases in the cost of gas and electricity, and an increase in the cost to improve gas and electric systems. In a statement Monday BGE announced it is pausing service disconnections during February and waiving late payment fees from January 1.

In addition, the company will also waive the deposit requirement for customers who have had their service disconnected.

More details HERE

This comes after a coalition of Maryland legislators has introduced a new bill aimed at addressing rising gas delivery rates from BGE, as homeowners and businesses voice concerns over increasing costs.

The proposed Ratepayer Protection Act seeks to compel gas companies to focus on reducing pipeline expenses rather than passing costs onto consumers. Additionally, the bill mandates that companies prioritize identifying and repairing leaks to mitigate unnecessary spending.

The bill proposes significant changes in how gas companies submit infrastructure plans to the Public Service Commission. Under the new guidelines, companies must:

• Prioritize projects based on cost-effectiveness and public safety risks.
• Provide a comparative cost analysis of the proposed projects against alternative solutions.
• Notify affected customers at least two years before construction begins, allowing them time to consider switching to electric energy sources.