Baltimore City Councilman Isaac ‘Yitzy’ Schleifer says the phrase “you get what you pay for” does not apply to BGE. He announced Monday that he will lead a series of investigations into the region’s sole utility after hearing complaints from constituents about recent rate hikes.

“With BGE, we pay through the roof, we get projects that take way longer than expected, and quality of work and follow up that's even worse,” Schleifer said. The Legislative Investigations Committee, which he chairs, will begin its probe on February 20th, though no total number of hearings has been scheduled.

He continued on to say that many are facing BGE bills larger than their tax bills. Matthew Oetting, chef and owner of Marta, said that has certainly been the case for him. At a City Hall news conference on Monday, Oetting shared that his bill was nearly double what it was at the same time last year.

“I opened my bill for this past month, and it had reached over $4,000, nearly twice as much,” Oetting said.

Oetting said that despite being an auto-pay customer with a perfect payment record, BGE is holding $7,000 as a security deposit. He was told it could take until September 2026 to get the deposit back, and he would have to apply for it.

Nicole Rogers, a lifelong city resident, also shared her struggles. As someone who relies on SSDI/disability as her sole income, Rogers said she was told to pay $5,000 to avoid a shut-off. She was only able to resolve her issue with assistance from the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO).

“People in my situation shouldn't have to rely on the kindness and assistance of others,” said Rogers. “We should be able to get the help and answers that we need from BG&E.”

Both Oetting and Rogers hope the hearings will uncover the reasons behind rate increases and provide fair solutions for small business owners and residents.

While rates have gone up statewide, Baltimore City appears to be the only local jurisdiction to hold oversight hearings on the issue.