Baltimore leaders, BGE customers push back against big hike in utility bills

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City leaders are taking a stand against rising BGE utility bills.

The City Council's Legislative Investigation Committee will hold public hearings to address the high costs of gas and electric bills.

"We stand with workers, restaurant owners and religious leaders, not a utility that holds a monopoly and has seen record returns," Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen said. 

The hearings come as BGE has paused service disconnections and waived late payment fees due to "unanticipated high bills," and after Maryland lawmakers introduced legislation to address the rate increases. 

Councilmember and committee leader Yitzy Schleifer said the council will request BGE's full cooperation. 

City council to take action

Baltimore City Council President Cohen said they plan to demand better from BGE and ensure the Public Service Commission understands its responsibility to protect residents. 

"The city council will stand with the ratepayers of this region, not the shareholders of the gas and electric company," Cohen said. "We stand with our people over their profits. We stand with workers, residents, restaurant owners and religious leaders, not a utility that holds a monopoly and has seen record returns." 

Cohen highlighted that in 2023, the council adopted a resolution that called on the Public Service Commission (PSC) to reject BGE's multi-year rate plan and argued ratepayers should not have to pay for BGE's gas line replacement project. 

"We argued then that should not foot the bill for BGE's massive gas line replacement project," Cohen said. "We knew that our infrastructure was old."

PSC, which regulates BGE at a state level, granted the company the rate case, despite opposition from city leaders. 

"To hand BGE a blank check to rebuild their system on the backs of our residents was the height of fiscal irresponsibility,"  Cohen said. 

The first council hearing will be held on Feb. 20. 

Customers' utility concerns

In one of the coldest winters we've had in the Mid-Atlantic in a while, BGE customers have had to turn up the heat in their homes. However, it has come at a very high cost. 

"Most recently, it was $700 for one month," Baltimore resident Nicole Rogers said. "I have a one-bedroom house with a dent, that's it."

Rogers, who is on disability along with her husband and lives in Section 8 housing, said her $700 bill grew to over $5,000. 

"And they had cut off our gas and electric when it was below 30 degrees, so we were in our home freezing, having to wear three layers of clothes and there was no assistance, like no matter how many times I called," Rogers said.

Matthew Oetting, the chef and owner of Marta Fine Foods and Spirits in Butcher's Hill, told WJZ his utility bills have increased by more than $1,000 over the past few months.

"Yeah, I could look at my October or November bill of 2024 and compare it to my most recent bill of February 2025, and it's over $1,000 difference," Oetting said.

Why are BGE bills increasing

Baltimore area residents started expressing concerns about the increase in their electric bill at the beginning of the year, with some reporting a more than $200 jump from their previous billing cycle. 

At the time, BGE said some increases in utility bills are to be expected during the first six months of the year as there are price hikes that begin on Jan. 1. Those price hikes should have averaged about $7.77.

A spokesperson for BGE advised customers to drop their thermostats and adjust their water heaters to save money. 

BGE addresses rate hikes

Concerns about high bills continued as Maryland experienced a blast of Arctic air that sent wind chills into the single digits for several days. 

On Feb. 3, BGE waived late fees and paused service disconnections, saying the high bills were due to the extremely cold weather, increases in the cost of gas and electric and an increase in the cost to improve their systems. 

The company also waived the deposit requirement for customers who have had their service disconnected and shared programs for those struggling to pay their bills. 

Ratepayer Protection Act introduced

The council also said they plan to support the Ratepayer Protection Act, which was introduced by a group of Maryland lawmakers in response to the rate increases. 

The proposed bill would require gas companies to focus on lowering spending on pipelines instead of raising rates for customers. 

In announcing the bill, lawmakers shared that BGE gas delivery rates have more than tripled since 2010 along with the company's profits, according to the Office of the People's Counsel. 

The Office of the People's Counsel also projected that BGE's monthly winter delivery bill could double by 2035, reaching $450 per month. 

According to the group, BGE's pipeline replacement project has drawn criticism, and the proposed bill would require gas companies to show that they prioritize projects based on cost-effectiveness and risk to the public.