How to Compare Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) Electricity Rates

Reading Your BGE Electricity Bill

Understanding your BGE electricity bill is critical to managing your energy costs effectively. Your BGE bill is divided into two main components: supply charges and delivery charges.

• Supply charges cover the cost of the electricity you use and can vary depending on your chosen supplier. If you haven’t selected an alternative supplier, these charges will be based on BGE’s Standard Service rate.
• Delivery charges cover the cost of transmitting and distributing electricity to your home or business. These charges are set by BGE and approved by the Maryland Public Services Commission, and they remain the same regardless of your chosen supplier.

Smart Ways to Save with BGE

In 2008, Maryland launched EmPOWER Maryland to prioritize energy efficiency as a cost-effective way to meet the state’s electricity needs. As of 2024, new legislation (House Bill 864) has shifted the program’s focus toward long-term savings and greenhouse gas reduction, ensuring that these benefits remain available to BGE customers through 2032 and beyond.

BGE customers have several powerful options to lower their monthly bills, ranging from free professional home inspections to high-value rebates on modern electric technology.

1. Quick Home Energy Check-up (QHEC)

This remains one of the most popular programs because it is provided at no additional cost. A certified professional performs a one-hour walk-through of your home to identify energy leaks.

1. 1. • Instant Upgrades: During the visit, the technician may install up to 15 energy-saving items for free, such as LED bulbs, efficient-flow showerheads, and faucet aerators.
      • Free Smart Thermostat: Many customers are eligible to have a smart thermostat installed at no cost during their check-up.
      • Note: As of December 1, 2025, smart power strips will no longer be included in the free installation kit, but all other upgrades remain.

2. High-Efficiency Rebates & Discounts

BGE offers significant rebates to help you upgrade to ENERGY STAR® certified appliances and systems:

1. 1. • Heat Pump Water Heaters: Get a rebate of up to $1,600 on select high-efficiency models.
      • Heating & Cooling: Save hundreds on high-efficiency HVAC systems, including electric heat pumps.
      • Appliances: Receive instant discounts or mail-in rebates on dehumidifiers ($50) and select Energy Star clothes washers or dryers.

3. Smart Thermostat “Connected Rewards”

While the older “PeakRewards” program is no longer accepting new enrollments, the new Connected Rewards program allows you to earn credits by letting BGE make minor, temporary adjustments to your smart thermostat during peak demand periods.

1. 1. • Earn Credits: Receive $10 per month in bill credits (up to $50 for summer-only users or up to $120 for year-round heat pump users).
      • Control: You can opt out of any specific adjustment event at any time via your thermostat or mobile app.

4. Appliance Recycling

Don’t just throw away your old, inefficient appliances—get paid to have them hauled away.

1. 1. • $50 Reward: For recycling a working refrigerator or freezer.
      • $25 Reward: For recycling a working dehumidifier, room air conditioner, or mini-fridge (when scheduled with a larger unit).
      • Free Pickup: BGE provides no-cost pickup and environmentally friendly disposal.

5. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®

For deeper savings, this program offers a comprehensive home energy audit for $100 (a $400 value).

1. 1. • Deep Rebates: Participants qualify for rebates averaging $3,000 for major improvements like insulation, air sealing, and duct repair.

6. Limited Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP)

BGE offers specialized programs for customers with limited incomes, providing more extensive home weatherization and energy-saving upgrades at no cost to help manage energy bills and improve home comfort.

Maryland’s 100% Clean Energy Future

Maryland is currently pursuing one of the most aggressive climate agendas in the nation, anchored by the Climate Solutions Now Act. While previous laws aimed for 50% renewable energy by 2030, the state’s current mandate has expanded to achieve a 100% clean energy grid by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2045. BGE is actively modernizing their grid to integrate high-voltage transmission and battery storage.

Residents can support this green transition immediately through two primary paths:

• Community Solar: The most accessible way to support local Maryland projects while lowering your bill.
• Green Power Plans: A “Energy Choice” option where you match your home’s usage with 100% Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Note that under Senate Bill 1 (effective 2025), retail energy contracts are now limited to 12-month terms to provide better consumer protection and price transparency.

Maryland Community Solar: Simplified Savings

Maryland has officially moved from a “pilot” to a Permanent Community Solar Program, removing the previous cap on clean energy development. This “virtual net metering” system allows renters, homeowners, and businesses to subscribe to local solar farms without any equipment installation. As of January 1, 2026, the program has become even more user-friendly with the launch of Utility Consolidated Billing, meaning your solar credits and subscription charges appear on a single utility bill rather than two separate statements.

Why Choose Community Solar in MD?

• Guaranteed Savings: Most plans offer a fixed discount (typically 10% to 25%) off your standard electricity rate.
• Equity-Focused: Maryland law mandates that 40% of program capacity is reserved for Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) households, often with higher guaranteed savings rates.
• Top-Tier Managers: We partner with industry leaders like Arcadia and Nexamp to manage your subscription. While Arcadia specializes in a seamless digital enrollment experience, Nexamp often owns the local projects they manage—such as the landmark Kent Island array—providing long-term stability and direct community benefits.

If you would like more information about enrolling head over to our Maryland community solar page. Or to check if there are any current community solar projects available in your area of Maryland, enter your ZIP code at the top of this page.

BGE Energy Choice: From Monopoly to Modern Regulation

For decades in Central Maryland, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) operated as a vertically integrated monopoly. As the state’s oldest utility, BGE controlled every stage of the energy lifecycle — from generating the power at plants like Brandon Shores to delivering it through the wires to your home. Because there was no competition, BGE was the sole provider, with rates for generation and delivery bundled together and set through regulatory oversight.

The Shift to Energy Choice (1999)

The landscape shifted dramatically when the Maryland General Assembly passed the Electric Customer Choice and Competition Act of 1999. This landmark legislation effectively “unbundled” BGE’s services.

• Supply: The actual electricity or natural gas you consume. This was opened to a competitive market, also known as Energy Choice.
• Delivery: The maintenance of poles, wires, and pipes. This remained BGE’s exclusive responsibility.

While BGE sold off its generation plants (like the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant), they remained the default provider for customers who did not shop for a third-party supplier. This default supply is known as Standard Offer Service (SOS), which BGE purchases on the wholesale market and passes through to customers without a markup.

Recent Regulatory Changes: Senate Bill 1 (SB1)

The competitive environment for BGE customers changed significantly with the enactment of Senate Bill 1 (SB1) in 2024. Effective as of 2025, this law was designed to curb predatory marketing and “bait-and-switch” pricing that some BGE customers experienced with third-party retail suppliers.

Impact on BGE Service Territory:

Price Protections: Senate Bill 1 (SB1) introduced stricter price caps, making it harder for retail suppliers to offer rates significantly higher than BGE’s Standard Offer Service.

• Financial Shifts: The law ended the “purchase of receivables” mechanism. Previously, BGE would pay suppliers for the energy they sold to customers and then handle the collection itself. Now, suppliers face higher financial risks, leading many to exit the Maryland market.
• Reduced Options: As a result of these stricter rules, the sheer volume of “Energy Choice” offers available to BGE customers has contracted. Many residents have found it more stable or cost-effective to return to BGE’s SOS rates, even as those utility-standard rates fluctuate with global energy markets.

While SB1 provides a safety net against deceptive “green power” claims and hidden fees, it has effectively cooled the competitive fever of the early 2000s, returning many Baltimore-area residents to BGE as their primary source for both delivery and supply.

BGE Contact Information

• Customer Service Number: 1-800-685-0123
• Report An Outage Number: 1-877-778-2222
• Contact Info Page
• Outage Map
• Account Login