Politics & Government

Community Meeting to Discuss BGE Rate Hike Thursday in Ellicott City

The rate increases would add an average of $5 to residents' gas and electric bills, if approved.


Well, no one showed up to testify at the first public meeting to discuss BGE's proposed rate hike in Annapolis on Monday night. But Howard County residents will have a chance to discuss the estimated $5 increase to customers' gas and electric bills on Thursday at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City at 7 p.m. at a hearing conducted by the Maryland Public Service Commission.

BGE has asked for rate increases every year for the past three years. This year the company is asking to raise the average residential electric bill by $3.90 and the average residential gas bill by $1.96.

The rate hikes would net an estimated $107 million in additional revenue for the company, according to BGE. The company said the additional revenue would be used to "provide safe and reliable service to our customers and to maintain the financial health of the company," according to its application to raise rates.

Representatives from the utility will be present at the meeting and can field questions, but will not deliver presentations, according to Regina Davis, a spokesperson for the MPSC.

Local residents who can't make it to the meeting can submit written comments to the Maryland Public Service Commission at the following address:

David J. Collins, Executive Secretary of the Maryland Public Service Commission
William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul St., 16th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
 
EDIT - CORRECTION - BGE is not hosting the meeting as the article's previous title stated. They will be on hand, but the Maryland Public Service Commission, will be taking public comment. The article has been fixed, we regret the error.



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