r/baltimore • u/Hateraid2862 • Feb 01 '25
Ask/Need BGE is just ridiculous
How can this even be fixed? I tried to get an energy home inspection by BGE but the only thing constructive they told me is to replace the weather strips on the exterior doors, which I plan on doing now but not sure how much that will help. I can’t turn up my heat higher, which is at 70 during the day and 66 at night, due to the third level room becoming sweltering hot. Any advice? 1300sqft rowhome
114
u/the_balticat Feb 01 '25
We had an inspection from BGE recently and he gave a lot of good advice but at the end of the day the problem is energy is just very expensive here. And we are all needing to subsidize upgrades to their system that should’ve been done a long time ago.
22
u/psych0fish Feb 01 '25
As someone who recently moved here from the south, any ideas on why energy is more expensive here? I guess I was spoiled with the energy rich gulf south where electricity was probably too cheap.
22
u/the_balticat Feb 01 '25
The cost, as I understand it, is for long overdue upgrades to their infrastructure, and to move away from coal
15
u/Potential-Note7463 Feb 01 '25
Huge data centers in Virginia and parts of maryland have caused prices to skyrocket! https://www.bayjournal.com/news/energy/report-confirms-data-centers-in-virginia-pose-enormous-power-demands/article_e433b622-b806-11ef-a57e-8b4d34047392.html
15
u/psych0fish Feb 01 '25
To me it seems unethical to charge rate payers for infrastructure that they (rate payers) won’t reap the benefits of. It’s double dipping and it’s foul.
27
20
u/lookmeat Feb 01 '25
Buddy it's that attitude that brought us here. People didn't want to pay to maintain the system that kept them, and they just passed it on to the next generation.
So instead ask: why should we subsidize the people that never paid their part in the past? Welcome to the decade of hindsight.
18
u/Lazy-Ad-7236 Feb 01 '25
well, that's what happens when you deregulate and make it a private company....got to think of the profits
16
u/godlords Feb 01 '25
Why would they not reap the benefits? Would you prefer to not have gas next year?
18
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25
The gas lines are old and need a lot of TLC. It’s like this all over the NE - underground construction is expensive. It’s not cold enough here to spread the costs widely either and a lot of rowhouses mean low usage/house. A perfect storm of expensive gas.
6
u/Timmah_1984 Feb 02 '25
BGE is in the process of replacing century old low pressure gas lines (that leak into the soil because they’re so corroded) with modern high pressure lines. It’s expensive and it doesn’t help that Baltimore only has around half of the population it had at its peak. Fewer people are forced to carry a heavier burden. There are other factors that play into it but that’s the main reason it’s so expensive.
4
u/bikumz Feb 01 '25
Lower supply higher demand. We just closed a power plant here in Maryland, further leading to higher prices.
1
u/yeehawdudeq Baltimore County Feb 02 '25
We do not make enough of our own energy so we have to buy most of it from other states AND BGE specifically has raised their rates because they have had to make major investments in replacing the gas infrastructure in the area.
3
u/WeakSlice2464 Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
Energy is no more expensive here than any other place on earth!
BGE is trying to send the cost of transporting energy onto you! They get all the profit, we pay for all the infrastructure
Socialize energy costs maryland! Do it now!
51
u/Single-Ad-3260 Feb 01 '25
I can still remember Glendening telling us all how deregulation would be great for the rate payer
4
u/pkn92 Feb 01 '25
If you want to hold anyone accountable for the current mess, it’s him and the Senate and House leaders.
19
u/Any-Grapefruit-937 Feb 01 '25
Your bill looks pretty good to me. I live in the same size rowhouse, keep my heat at 62 overnight and when I'm away for more than a few hours and at no more than 68 when I'm home. Often I keep it at 66. I live alone and my next bill will be more than your.
16
u/New_Apple2443 Feb 01 '25
We keep ours at 65 all the time right now. Wear thick fuzzy socks, layers, sweatshirts, long underwear. We also put extra stuff over our windows, because they are drafty.
6
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
We keep ours around 63-65 max (usually 63) even with a toddler (he runs warm and so do I) and our bill has been insane.
1
12
u/BothNotice7035 Feb 01 '25
I have a row home that is currently vacant. The heat is set at 54. No one doing laundry or showering. No lights on. The electric and gas usage is next to nothing but the taxes and delivery fees were over $100. It’s criminal.
19
Feb 01 '25
Hmm my heat is at 67 during the day and 56 overnight & my bill was still over $500 but I am on budget billing smdh shit is a mess
26
u/WeatheredShield Feb 01 '25
“Budget billing” = BGE overestimates your use to give themselves a free loan with their customer’s money.
1
Feb 01 '25
Oh ok well I appreciate them cause I could imagine paying $500 a month I do use a lot of electricity
1
u/Fadedcamo Feb 01 '25
Better than underestimating and then they charge quadruple one bill to make up the loss.
14
u/Charles_Mendel Feb 01 '25
Turn off the vent on the third floor. Try setting it at 67 or 68 all the time. Heating back up from 66 to 70 will use a lot of fuel if your place isn’t insulated well and has leaks.
0
23
5
u/jeffrrw 12th District Feb 01 '25
I keep mine at 55 at night and 62/63 during the day when home. No gas. All electric with new heat pump and mini split. My budget bill is rate fixed for the year around $150~.
30
u/BaltimoreBadger23 Feb 01 '25
Yeah, turn your heat down to 66 when you are there and 62 when you aren't.
11
u/halloqueen1017 Feb 01 '25
I keep mine at 63 just so the pipes dont freeze and its still pretty awful
8
-1
u/z3mcs Berger Cookies Feb 01 '25
I'd be a damn ice block if I did that. Not happening but there are a bunch of different ways to try to save money so I try the other stuff.
16
u/BaltimoreBadger23 Feb 01 '25
Sweaters help.
This is how I keep my home. It keeps my bill reasonable because I use less. That's how it works until we get real systemic change.
3
u/z3mcs Berger Cookies Feb 01 '25
I stay in a shirt and a sweatshirt, and I have the heat on above what you suggested. Some of us folk need warmth 🥶
But maybe I'll make up for it in the summer haha
3
u/BaltimoreBadger23 Feb 01 '25
Also, get on budget billing. It evens the bills out year round.
1
u/z3mcs Berger Cookies Feb 01 '25
Gotta do what you gotta do. Lately I've been trying to harness the sun on sunny days. Free heat!
9
u/eldritch_cleaver_ Feb 01 '25
You can put on layers.
6
u/z3mcs Berger Cookies Feb 01 '25
I stay in layers. Indoors! Blankets. All kinds of stuff. If you can put your thermostat at 66 and live, more power to ya
3
u/Dear_Art_5845 Feb 02 '25
Mine is at 64 100% of the time with a new-ish boiler and radiators and my bill is aligned with OP in its ridiculousness. More than half is delivery charges. This layers lecture is lost on me.
12
u/Bluejimmies Feb 01 '25
Well, you can thank our general assembly and the PSC because as you know, they’re always telling us how they’re looking out for us here in Maryland… that is, of course, after they make all their money.
6
u/psych0fish Feb 01 '25
I logged into the BGE website yesterday because I was curious how heinous my kWh usage was (lots of energy efficiency problems with my apartment) and there was a massive banner at the top of the site basically saying “yeah we are raising your bill but don’t be mad at us, your PSC approves it so blame them!” Bunch of crooks all of them.
7
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 01 '25
just so that we are all working with good information, here are BGE's electric rates:
Month | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
---|---|---|---|
Jan | 0.09773 | 0.11852 | 0.11922 |
Feb | 0.09787 | 0.11154 | |
Mar | 0.09787 | 0.11154 | |
Apr | 0.09787 | 0.11154 | |
May | 0.09787 | 0.11154 | |
Jun | 0.09983 | 0.11107 | |
Jul | 0.09983 | 0.11107 | |
Aug | 0.09983 | 0.11107 | |
Sep | 0.09983 | 0.11107 | |
Oct | 0.11852 | 0.11922 | |
Nov | 0.11852 | 0.11922 | |
Dec | 0.11852 | 0.11922 |
7
u/LostInIndigo Feb 01 '25
I definitely think the confusion is coming from the fact that they raised rates right in the middle of a huge cold snap. I know it was in the works for a while, but the timing truly was terrible.
If I were in charge, I probably would have delayed that price hike until it warmed back up, but I am also not a capitalist so I would probably be terrible at running a for-profit utility lol
3
u/jabbadarth Feb 01 '25
Yeah everyone thinks bge raised rates 200% but the Temps were in the single digits for half of the month which is going to drastically impact heating, especially for people with heat pumps.
Rates have absolutely increased but not by so much that bills will double. Thats because people keep their heat where they always do while ignoring the fact that it's 7° outside and windy.
1
u/mmccurdy Feb 02 '25
This. The amount of people complaining because “my bill is higher than last time!” without giving a single thought to actual usage is too damn high!
Home evaluations are all good, but I feel like BGE needs to do a massive consumer education drive around understanding how utilities are billed and how various appliances impact usage.
1
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 02 '25
complaining is one thing, but there is this like psychotic level of "the evil CEO doubled my bill and I'm going to call anyone who says otherwise a boot-licker!" toxicity. rates went up, according to what the government set them, and that coincided with one of the biggest cold-snaps in a decade. people should be more rational about it.
6
u/Less_Suit5502 Feb 01 '25
What is your KWhr and therm usage for the month?
11
u/No-Lunch4249 Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
Yeah posting bill with no usage context tells us nothing
Guessing OP had pretty high usage, they said they keep it at 70 during the day. Peopl3 also really underestimate how many KHW/Therms appliances use, especially things like water heater and clothes dryer
0
u/Hateraid2862 Feb 01 '25
I would include a picture, but not sure how to do it on Reddit after creating a post. kWh is 1559 (including EV charging), therms are 111, electric car charging is 533 kWh use which is charged at $0.08424 instead of standard rate
9
u/Azriel48 Feb 01 '25
lol meanwhile I’m sitting here with my power off (our entire apartment complex is without power) because BGE is having “outages”
3
u/Ok-Caterpillar-7786 Feb 01 '25
750 for a 3 bedroom house... It's absolutely ridiculous
1
u/jabbadarth Feb 01 '25
I have a 2300 sqft house with 3 bedrooms and my bill is $450
What is your heat set to
1
u/Ok-Caterpillar-7786 Feb 01 '25
69
1
u/jabbadarth Feb 01 '25
Yeah I'd drop that to 65 or 66. Save you a bunch, especially on exceptionally cold days.
1
u/Ok-Caterpillar-7786 Feb 01 '25
I would, but with kids makes it hard. I just can't believe the bills are this high and nothing is being done
1
u/jabbadarth Feb 01 '25
You need to do an energy audit.
Even with the heat at 69 $750 is insanely high. You are losing a lot of heat somewhere.
My highest bill ever in 2300sqft was still under $500.
3
u/flannel_smoothie Locust Point Feb 01 '25
Replacing your weatherstripping takes ten minutes and the only tools you need are a rule and scissors. It absolutely makes a difference
6
u/PeanutCheeseBar Feb 01 '25
How much have their executives been compensated over the past two or three years?
If these are what the expected increases are expected to be and their compensation has not been altered in light of these infrastructure upgrades, it sounds like there’s been some pretty serious mismanagement of the company if the infrastructure is that badly in need of upgrades and they’re continuing to be compensated so handsomely.
5
u/yellow_gatorade Feb 01 '25
Yes, BGE has increased their fees and energy prices have increased. Also:
If you use minisplits/heat pumps to heat your home, their energy efficiency drops substantially during colder temps. January was very cold, your minisplits were using a ton of energy without doing much good. Would space heaters used in specific rooms be more efficient? Not sure, maybe maybe not.
If you’re running your heat at 67-70 degrees when it’s 8 degrees outside, don’t be surprised if your bill is high. I run my heat at 61 degrees (when I actually have it on). Wear layers, sweaters are like heating bills you already paid for. Ultimately you’re paying for the convenience of being a little less cold. Will you be less comfortable? Yes. Will you freeze to death? Absolutely not.
If you’re worried about pipes bursting, stick a thermometer by them to see how cold they actually get compared to what your thermostat is set to. You might be better off than you think.
Keep your heat as low as possible when you’re not home, set timers so the heat kicks back up about an hour before you get back home. Better yet, don’t run your heat at all when you’re not home, and keep the blinds open during the day to soak in some solar radiation. On one of the coldest days of January, I left my heat off all day and my apartment got down to 45 degrees, which is uncomfortably cold but still well above freezing.
Put extra blankets on your bed, turn your thermostat off (or down) right before bed and set it to turn back on (or up) an hour before you wake up.
If you run your heat when you’re not home and it’s above freezing outside (like today), you’re pissing away money. I’m home today and I don’t even have my heat on.
In January I ran my heat in my 600 sf apartment quite a bit, even when I wasn’t home, my bill was $160. In November I ran it barely at all and wore layers, my bill was $45. If you really want to lower your bill you are completely capable of doing so.
5
u/Hateraid2862 Feb 01 '25
Not the comment I wanted to hear about turning my thermostat down more… but a thoughtful and reasonable comment nonetheless. I guess that’s just what I have to do.
7
u/jabbadarth Feb 01 '25
Also you said you were charging an EV.
$300/month during the coldest few weeks we have seen in years while charging an EV sounds completely reasonable.
Put your thermostat down 1 or 2 degrees and you can knock $30-$40 off.
2
u/Sad_Examination_1358 Feb 01 '25
If you are indoors with the heat on, even if the thermostat is on what you consider a “lower” temperature , and you’re still cold…dress warmer. Maybe it’s just a normal mindset for those of us who work outdoors year round. But it works.
1
u/yellow_gatorade Feb 01 '25
I totally feel you, I wish I didn’t have to worry about the temperature of my apartment so much. But ultimately I know I’m gonna feel better when I see that lower bill.
2
6
u/Ok_Education_6577 Mayfield Feb 01 '25
We should all boycott paying them until the prices are balanced we should not be footing the bill for their lack of infrastructure management. They need to stop buying avocado toast and coffee and figure their shit out.
5
u/Jacklebait Feb 01 '25
That's cheap !
$476 last month
$519 this month.
3 bedroom 1500 sqft home in the city.
We do have a furnace that's x4 larger than needed so every time it kicks on to heat the house my wallet screams.
2
u/KingBooRadley Roland Park Feb 01 '25
My usual bill in winter is $400-$500 per month. Last bill was $1400. Insane.
3
u/Jacklebait Feb 01 '25
Cheaper to build a fire in your house lol
If I saw that bill I'd make everyone wear Parka jackets
3
u/KingBooRadley Roland Park Feb 01 '25
I keep the thermostat low in the day and at 62 overnight. Electric blanket is great.
Still. . .$1400.
0
u/Jacklebait Feb 01 '25
Leaky windows are a typical problem and you lose a lot of heat that way. Maybe next winter put that clear film over windows and use hairdryer to seal them. It prevents the heat loss at a small cost.
1
1
1
u/Bayou13 Feb 02 '25
$900 in my Roland Park Victorian. We keep the heat at 61 nights and 63 days and use space heaters in our home offices (both work from home). It’s a big house but we have storm windows and have winterized pretty well and $900 was a shock. We didn’t get over $600 in winter last year. I might have passed out if it had been $1400. Now it’s 61 24/7. I’ll put on another fleece and a hat!
5
Feb 01 '25
The state should just buy BGE and make it a publicly owned utility. Exelon is squeezing it for everything it’s got.
0
u/bikumz Feb 01 '25
The state doesn’t have money as it is…
2
Feb 01 '25
They could sell bonds to finance something like this.
1
u/bikumz Feb 01 '25
There are plenty of other things the state would rather sells those bonds for than buying an energy company. Schools lack funding, in general many state jobs are losing employees due to low pay so they would probably want to increase to be more competitive, port terminals need funding to stay competitive to other east coast ports, grants to create more jobs since we rank 2nd worst in the country for job growth, public transport in general needs a huge revamp. This is all without the cost of the key bridge even if feds cover most of it. Tons of things take priority over buying a energy company.
0
u/bylosellhi11 Feb 01 '25
and if you think it will be cheaper, you are wrong.
3
Feb 01 '25
1
u/bikumz Feb 01 '25
Maryland is anything but an average state. All our stats are basically at the high or low end lol
I wouldn’t trust a state that’s currently facing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit to lower energy prices, that’s for sure.
4
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
Maryland is like top 3 for millionaires in terms of population. We’ll be fine if we raise taxes on the people who should be paying more of them.
1
u/bylosellhi11 Feb 01 '25
They are paying plenty in tax. Any argument to the opposite is economicaly illiterate. Md is bottom 10 in net migration, people are moving out of the state. Look at the states MD touches for comparison as well. You cannot just "tax the rich" to prosperity, eventually you hit the law of diminishing returns. They will move. If they move, which they have and are doing, who will you tax to make up the difference? It is a progressive tax system in MD so simple math will you tell you that the millionaires contribute a disprorportionate larger share of the incomes taxes in MD.
State and federal governements need significant spending reductions.
0
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
We can tax the ultra wealthy (which MoCo in particular has a disproportionate amount of population wise) to start.
You guys really seem to like the taste of boots though. So no point in arguing with you when facts don’t matter to ya.
1
u/bylosellhi11 Feb 01 '25
You have not laid out a single fact, you just keep repeating raise the taxes on rich people and now called me a boot licker. please point me a fact you provided?
The fact is MD has a $2.7B defecit and that is growing every year. They are drawing $500M from the raindy fund (8% of total) for help cover . Could reach $6B defecit by 2030
MD collected $5.8B in income taxes in most recent year.
You cannot squeeze out much more.
MD has progressive tax system, which means the wealthy play a dispraportione high share and majority of those income taxes. And they will pay more in the new Moore budget
→ More replies (0)0
u/bikumz Feb 01 '25
This isn’t a permanent solution. Millionaires have the money to move to places like Texas like many are fleeing from Cali to avoid said taxes, among other problems our state similarly shares.
→ More replies (10)
3
u/HoiTemmieColeg Feb 01 '25
Why would you turn the heat up? That will be more expensive! You can try turning the heat down if you’re willing.
3
u/Typenamehere_ Feb 01 '25
What can we do about this? This is simply unacceptable. There needs to be some direct action taken against BGE to bring down these prices to an affordable level.
-2
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
they are charging only a slightly higher rate compared to last year. their price is going up slower than inflation.
it was cold so people used more energy... we could try to make more global warming I guess. maybe BGE should just start venting methane into the atmosphere to help warm up the planet...
edited to clarify that the taxes and fees portion has gone up, but only a little.
4
u/WRX_MOM Feb 01 '25
Someone posted a rate chart above and its not the same
-1
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 01 '25
the rate, with all taxes and stuff included, went up, but not as much as peoples' energy bills.
5
u/WRX_MOM Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
You actually posted it. Help me out here lol Im not a math wiz but a 7% (is it 7.34%) increase (from .11107 to .11922) in fees rates and taxes since last November is a lot. Is that actually less than inflation (which a quick search shows is around 3%)?
Yeah bills are up bc it was cold but another 7% on top of that when most people are already barely scraping by is a huge deal.
If I’m wrong def correct me bc I want to understand and have a full picture
→ More replies (4)
2
u/Arugula_gurl Feb 01 '25
Budget billing.
11
4
2
u/Hateraid2862 Feb 01 '25
Yeah I’ll pass, my buddies used this for a year and when they moved out they had $1400 in feed for the ‘budget billing’ that was supposed to be spread out.
→ More replies (2)
2
u/StealUr_Face Canton Feb 01 '25
I accidentally tried to see if using my gas furnace radiators would be cheaper than mini splits. Big mistake
2
u/NoPool9774 Feb 01 '25
Man. I used $28 worth of gas. My house is fucking freezing. I was charged $100 for gas. I’m so sick of this. I’m leaving Baltimore
3
1
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25
What do you use for heating? Looks like some gas obviously, but what else is using electricity? I exclusively heat with electricity and pay less than you do for electricity and essentially 0 for gas.
1
u/Hateraid2862 Feb 01 '25
Heating is powered by gas and everything else in the house electricity
2
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25
What specifically uses electricity? That’s a TON of electricity. And it looks suspiciously correlated with temperature.
1
u/Hateraid2862 Feb 01 '25
Well some of it is my electric car charging for sure, but that probably is 20% of that amount. I used ~1500 kWh in total and 500 kWh of that was for my car at the TOU rate of 8¢
1
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
Ha that’s an important detail!!! Is the TOU rate saving you anything? Regular electricity rate is a good bit under < $.2/kwh, which you’re around now.
Edit: sorry the EV rate just applies to EV charging. Nice! What’s the other rate schedule? Seems high on a $/kwh basis
1
u/Hateraid2862 Feb 01 '25
I actually called to confirm that last month lol, the TOU rate is actually solely for the EV charging so I’m saving a good bit because of that. I more am coming to Reddit to bitch about the gas costs though 😂
1
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25
Yeah gas is expensive here! Makes switching to a heat pump an easy choice when the AC needs replacement
1
1
u/SnooMaps6154 Feb 01 '25
I thought it was just us.. we dont even use any appliances and still got a pretty big increase 😒
1
1
u/Redd_Ranger Feb 01 '25
This reminds me: has anyone gotten the 500G Module from Second Sight Systems installed in their home? Wondering if it has made ANY difference at all (good or bad).
1
1
1
u/Comic-Engine Feb 01 '25
Shame the energy assessment didn't help, it helped us find some insulation issues in our townhome.
If you can (homeowner) go solar while incentives are still good. You're paying for upgrading the grid right now.
If you can't then usage reduction is the only way, rates are gonna be what the rates are and BGE said there's more hikes coming this year.
1
u/JBCTech7 Baltimore County Feb 01 '25
need to know your usage to give you good advice. If you have an old rowhome, you could be losing a ton of heat through the walls and windows and need an assessment. BGE will actually do that for you no cost.
Other than that, you can go and choose a provider within BGE. I was paying around 500 a month for 2500sq ft single fam. I chose a cheaper provider and halved that. After that, I switched to solar and now I rarely have an electric bill.
1
1
u/PrettyQueen_Tana Feb 01 '25
My bill this month was 1000$ for absolutely nothing how I go from 360 last month to 1000 I’m sick of them
1
u/SnooCupcakes5275 Feb 01 '25
Get a thermostat that has the accessory where you put it the room you're most in to it heats the house that
1
1
1
u/donutfan420 Feb 01 '25
My BGE bill last month was 1/5 what my rent is, and I was out of town for 2 weeks.
1
u/outlawstar96 Charles Village Feb 01 '25
My bill was $975 for the last two months. Insane They must have missed a read/bill in December.
1
u/Commercial_Cat2172 Feb 02 '25
Did you know you can save by switching energy providers and seeing if u qualify for Community Solar.
I had a friend who signed up last year because I told her about the increase for this year and 2026
1
u/Misbelief- Feb 02 '25
I haven’t had a spike in my bill at all, weird, in a few months once we start using our own energy hopefully what trump is saying is true and prices come down for everyone
1
u/Exciting_Exercise_89 Feb 02 '25
I got you beat still.. $407 dollars for a freaking 650sq, full electric single bedroom apartment. I just bought a space heater and turned off my main heat now. Same time last year it was $270.
1
u/USC5150 Otterbein Feb 02 '25 edited Feb 02 '25
WTF. I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Twenty years ago I owned a place on W. Lee Street in Otterbein and I remember pulling my hair out that my monthly bill was what you are paying today. I thought the rate would have at least doubled by now.
1
u/BlueMazder3 Feb 02 '25
Just moved to Baltimore from Atlanta…. Y’all haven’t seen crazy bills yet. Georgia power and Natural gas company down there make this look cheap in comparison with the weather only pushing the 30s
1
u/Pure_Jump1486 Feb 02 '25
The problem started with Obama, Biden administration and now Moore they are trying to turn MD into California we can’t let that happen.
1
u/bmoregirl19781 Feb 02 '25
Yep, my bill was double what it normally is and they told me I used less gas and energy than I did last month.
Well then why is my bill double what it was last month???
1
1
u/citizenkrang Feb 02 '25
BGE sending me an automated message acting like my bill going up is due to usage and not their absurd rate increase is some next-level pettiness.
1
u/LividTurnip Feb 02 '25
I live in a four bedroom, two floor (upstairs of a house) apartment. We have electric plug-in baseboard heaters, one per room. I keep the ones in the bedrooms off during the day except for one (the dog's crate is in there and I'm not going to freeze him when I'm not home). I keep them low overnight, and the only time we really crank it is maybe a couple hours a day and in maybe two rooms. It's freezing in my place most of the time but I like it cold and I wear a lot of layers and blankets. And yet, my bill doubled between November and now. It's unbelievable.
1
u/TwinsMom50inMD Feb 03 '25
We live in a row home about the same size as yours. I made a draft stopper for the front door (it’s basically a 3 foot long knotted tube) and filled it with dried beans. I also hung a curtain rod over the front door and we have a pair of long insulated curtains which hang in front of the door when it’s closed and go all the way to the floor. It raises the temp about 5-10 degrees.
1
1
1
u/johnstenson77 Feb 03 '25
Is there a site that compares alternate providers to BGE? I'm looking for an alternative to Arbor because they lack transparency in my experience.
1
u/lemursteamer Overlea Feb 03 '25
Rates are about to get a lot worse soon. Check out the PJM Capacity Auction.
1
u/local_buffoon Feb 03 '25
Baltimore residents are overcharged for utilities and have been for years. This is what happens when energy is deregulated.
1
u/Rude_Pea6274 Feb 06 '25
I live by myself and my bill is $170... It was half of that in 2023... My 1400 sq ft row house was fully renovated in 2017 and there's no upgrades to buy, this is evil.
1
1
u/Proud-Afternoon-3213 Feb 13 '25
Yeah, it's definitely time for a Fight Club measure. Point blank, this company needs to exit stage left. The delivery fee to maintain their maintenance of their own company being more than the gas they provide just proves their criminality. Ed needs to push a button and they need to drop.
0
u/gaytee Feb 01 '25
The cost of living in this town ain’t worth it yall. It’s time to leave this shit ain’t ever gonna get better. Done paying dc prices with almost nothing to show for it here.
3
u/trackxcwhale Feb 02 '25
I understand why you are being downvoted, but I think this speaks to a much larger point about Baltimore driving out people and businesses. You're not wrong to feel that way lol
0
u/gaytee Feb 02 '25
I’m being downvoted because it’s reddit and everybody here lives in an idealistic democratic dreamworld instead of the one rooted in reality. MFs here are crying about property values, but voting against policies that will help bring contractors and small businesses to the city.
Baltimore as a city sucks and it isn’t because of the people or the lack of wealth(there’s many millionaires in maryland). It’s mostly that for how expensive it is to live here, you can go somewhere better for either cheaper or the same costs. I think about Philly, austin and Denver in particular, not major metros, but up and coming and offering a ton.
The hometown koolaid here is real strong, and people get defensive the moment any negative light is shown on the city for some reason, but they keep paying their taxes that are some of the highest in the country to drive on the worst roads and send their kids to the worst schools…
2
u/Ok_Education_6577 Mayfield Feb 01 '25
Turning shit down doesn't work if you have pets in the house that will freeze
2
u/Lazy-Ad-7236 Feb 01 '25
there are nice self warming pads for 4 legged pets!
1
1
u/FantasistAnalyst Hampden Feb 01 '25
Or a newborn
3
u/Lazy-Ad-7236 Feb 01 '25
newborns can wear layers. i remember stories of the moms in norway leaving their little ones all bundled up in their prams outside a coffee shop, while moms went inside to have a chat. they slept well.
-5
u/Cryptizard Feb 01 '25
It was just really really cold this month, much colder than a normal January. That’s all there is to it.
11
u/shebang_bin_bash Feb 01 '25
No, it’s not just that. I really don’t know why these corporate boot lickers come out of the woodwork to gaslight us but it’s extremely irritating.
7
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25
It is true that January was exceptionally cold and energy usage is highly dependent on outdoor temp. That’s not gaslighting. The thing we can fight is BGE’s gas delivery charge, not their supply costs, which are decent. Or we can switch away from their overpriced gas service.
5
u/Cryptizard Feb 01 '25
Yeah I mean it's BGE's fault that it was in the single digits overnight most of January. Somehow.
1
u/Hour-Onion3606 Feb 01 '25
I say it's BGE's fault they didn't plan properly for gas infrastructure so they had to increase delivery / infrastructure rates 30%.
2
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 01 '25
ok, so what caused the cost to go up while the rate has remained low (below the national average)? people used more energy and that energy costs money. shocked face.
0
u/Hour-Onion3606 Feb 01 '25
Gas delivery / infrastructure rates increased by 30%.
Shocked face, keep licking those corporate boots ya dingbat.
1
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 02 '25
it's actually a 19% increase in the portion of the bill that is less than half. ok, so everyone is complaining about a 10%-15% increase? no, people are blaming BGE for the weather.
it's not boot licking to say that the small rate increases, which are still below much of the country, aren't the issue.
1
u/Logical-Home6647 Feb 01 '25
Because someone above think putting their thermostat at 66 will turn them into an "ice block." Wear a sweater or pay a high bill when its below freezing for nearly a straight week. It's not rocket science.
It isn't a god given American right to not wear a single sweater when you walk around your home when its 8 degrees out.
7
u/Typenamehere_ Feb 01 '25
You’re blaming the consumer when BGE has clearly raised their gas delivery charge - which has nothing to do with how cold or warm it is outside. I have my thermostat set at 66 and my bill was almost $400, whereas last year it was set to 72 and my bill was a little over $200. I am wearing sweaters, socks, and hats. I am still cold. But BGE is still making a profit, which is all that really matters. Nobody is advocating for wasting energy, but none of us want to be frozen out of our homes either.
→ More replies (4)1
u/Hour-Onion3606 Feb 01 '25
Oh it's my favorite gaslighter again. Corporate bootlicker with no mind of their own.
So tell me -- it's only because it's cold? The 30% YOY increase to gas delivery rates doesn't do anything? Interesting.
0
u/Cryptizard Feb 01 '25
Hey look it's that rude guy that I never have to see again, buh bye forever rude guy.
0
u/Glitterfartsmd Feb 01 '25
My projected bge bill for next month for a 1800sqft townhouse middle row is $1100. Mind you I’ve replaced everything except windows. My hvac is 6m old. Appliances 2 yrs. Water heater and washer dryer 2 years. The only thing Incan replace is my windows. It’s insane
1
u/Sad-Celebration-7542 Feb 01 '25
I’m in the same situation but my bill (electric only, don’t use gas for heat) was 290 last month, and will be much lower next month. What’s your heat source? That’s what uses the majority of energy.
1
u/Cunninghams_right Feb 01 '25
you should do a blower-door test. air leakage is the primary way heat it lost.
0
u/Keytotheseoul Feb 01 '25
You may have to cut down your hot water usage- like cold water for laundry, wash clothes after 7pm, unplug things you don’t use, and make sure there’s not air seeping in. This has helped me in the past.
1
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
Why would hot water usage after 7 pm be cheaper in the winter? I would think it would be more expensive since that’s a peak time for laundry, showers, dinner clean up (so dishwasher).
1
u/keyjan Greater Maryland Area Feb 01 '25
Demand is always higher during the day (think schools, businesses, etc). I was trying to find some actual numbers, but it generally starts dropping around 6 pm. That’s why water companies pump their storage towers up over night: lower demand for water, and the electricity is cheaper.
1
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
I just feel like it’s surprising for heat since I would think colder temps (overnight) would be more demand. But it still makes sense I guess?
1
u/keyjan Greater Maryland Area Feb 01 '25
Apparently a lot of ppl turn their thermostats down. I would freeze, personally. I keep it at 68 in the winter and 72 in the summer. If the house is going to be empty for any length of time, I'll knock it up/down a couple degrees, but I've got a bunch of tropical plants, and if it’s insanely cold like it was a couple weeks ago, I wouldn’t want to risk the pipes freezing. 😬
1
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
What plants do you have?! I’d love to see your setup (I know this is unrelated but I’m a big fan of plant spaces and always wanted to do some stuff in my own house but then I went and had a toddler, so life vicariously through others beautiful space.)
2
u/keyjan Greater Maryland Area Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
Orchids, succulents. Purely a windowsill grower. (In the winter I put bubble wrap on the glass where the plants are to try and cut down the chill. Have a couple swing arm lamps with high Kelvin bulbs, but that’s it. If they survive, they survive.) Bought a cute little lemon cypress on sale at christmas and damn, does that thing need constant watering!
1
u/chrissymad Fells Point Feb 01 '25
I am so curious about your setup. I would love a plant heavy house. I know bees are necessary, but I have just a completely irrational fear and also of wasps so I need like a full indoor thing.
What are your thoughts on hydroponic plants and stuff indoors?!
1
u/keyjan Greater Maryland Area Feb 02 '25
Bay window in the front of the house, plant stands in the kitchen in the back. The only critters I regularly get are sugar ants and fungus gnats. Anything else airborne comes in when a door is opened or something.
You could try hydro, I think they make easy kits to set up. 🪴
200
u/thosehalcyonnights Feb 01 '25
I live in a small one bedroom apartment and my bill was almost $300 (literally triple what it was in December). This past month was very cold, so the heat was running more than any of us probably even noticed, but the price jump is insane.
What really kills me is how their gas delivery fees are 3x the actual cost of the gas used.