The Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) is preparing for a record number of energy assistance applications this year. OHEP expects to assist 270,000 households. Last year, it received 243,252 applications.
State Secretary of Human Services, Rafael Lopez, explained that the increase in applications is due to both rising energy costs and an expanded income limit, which now allows more households to qualify for help. He also noted improvements in the application process to make it easier for families, including automatic enrollment and modernizing technology to reduce paperwork.
“This way people do not have to prove they're struggling over and over again,” said Lopez, adding that a total of $35 million has been allocated this fiscal year.
Utility advocate Laurel Peltier, chairs the Maryland Energy Advocates Coalition and volunteers at an energy assistance center in Baltimore. She says lately folks with higher incomes have reached out, concerned about their energy bills. “I’m seeing people much more interested in figuring out what the heck is going on with their utility bill. I've never seen it before. I literally have people emailing me their BGE bill, asking me, ‘WTF?’”
A 2023 study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER), found that more than 18% of Maryland households are energy-burdened, spending more than 6% of their income on energy bills.
In June, the Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) released a report highlighting a sharp increase in monthly bills due to higher delivery rates for gas and electricity. The report blames this rise on utilities passing on costs from upgrading old gas infrastructure, a move driven by the Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (STRIDE) law. The 2020 multi-year rate plan pilot program is also mentioned as a contributing factor for higher bills.
Enacted in 2013, the STRIDE law allows gas utilities to charge more to ensure the safety of the gas system. However, the report and consumer advocates argue that utilities have been spending recklessly on new infrastructure to boost their profits.
BGE refuted claims that its capital investments are wasteful. Nick Alexopulos, senior manager of communications at BGE, stated that the company's capital investments are crucial for infrastructure resilience against threats such as cyber intrusions and severe weather.
“Since 2011, we’ve reduced the number of outages by 39% and the average length of an outage by 52 minutes,” Alexopulos said. “Our accelerated replacement of natural gas pipes will result in a safer system and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 210,000 metric tons annually.”
For more information and to apply for energy assistance click here.
