Posted on 07/01/25
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - July 1, 2025 - Beginning Tuesday, residents struggling to pay rising energy bills can apply for the customer relief fund.
"It's been a little stressful lately trying to, I guess, navigate or manage, understanding how much my bill is going to be monthly because honestly it's going to keep getting hotter," Baltimore County resident Cherona Brown said.
"Sometimes you'll get very shocked because its like, 'Oh, my bill is an extra hundred dollars, where did that come from?'" she added.
Residential customers with limited to moderate income, and have a past-due balance on their BGE account can apply for the fund to get a one-time grant ranging from $250 to $750. Of the total amount in the fund, $15 million will go toward BGE customers, but once the money runs out, it's gone.
The fund will be administered and managed by United Way of Central Maryland.
"Just like this latest fund, it's a band aid, it's a band aid on a gushing wound, and it's really only going to help a small amount of people for a small amount of time," Delegate Brian Chisholm said.
While only certain residents will apply for that fund, based on legislation that passed earlier this year, residents could also receive an energy rebate of about $80 per year, depending on your energy usage.
"It's not enough, but I'll take anything," Baltimore resident Martin Cooper said.
In a recent order from the Maryland Public Service Commission, the refunds will be applied to utility bills in two phases, the first of which won't be until August or September. The other rebate will come in either January or February.
“The Commission reviewed a number of proposals from utilities, the Office of People’s Counsel, the Commission’s Technical Staff and other stakeholders and has selected a plan that will allow for the most equitable, efficient and timely distribution of refunds to provide relief to customers, particularly those most affected by bill increases this past winter,” said Frederick Hoover, the Chair of the Public Service Commission.
To be eligible for the first round of credits, residents must have an active residential electric account of a June 1, 2025, and must have recorded electricity usage during the 12-month period ending in March 31, 2025, to cover the costs from this past winter.
Residents will need to have an active account for the month in which the credit is applied to the bill.
Governor Wes Moore has acknowledged more needs to be done to solve the energy crisis in Maryland, and has said the legislation that passed in the last legislative session did not go far enough to generate more energy in the state and provide relief to residents long-term.
"I would like for them to seriously think about the impact that they are having on people's lives," Cooper said. "Like I said, everything is going up across the board and life is becoming unaffordable for a lot of people."
Learn more about how to apply for the customer relief fund here.