SerpApi.Org
For thousands of Maryland households, falling behind on a utility bill last year did not just mean paying a late fee. It meant losing power, as unpaid bills led utilities to shut off gas or electric service about 115,000 times statewide compared with a little more than 100,000 the year before, The Baltimore Banner reported.
What's happening?
A look at filings submitted to state regulators, paired with a federal report, suggests affordability is worsening as energy costs climb. Those records showed both more disconnections and fewer restorations of service.
No utility disconnected more customers than Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., with roughly 60,000 shut-offs last year. Pepco reported more than 15,000, and Washington Gas recorded nearly 14,000.
Rather than viewing that as a sudden spike in people refusing to pay, consumer advocates say it reflects a deeper strain on household budgets. Brandi Nieland, director of consumer assistance at the Office of People's Counsel, Maryland's ratepayer advocate, told the outlet: "The bottom line is that bills are becoming fundamentally unaffordable for families, and that's really why the terminations are occurring."
Part of that strain comes from years of rising charges. The Office of People's Counsel said BGE delivery rates are up 30% since 2020, and the company's latest filing could tack about $8 a month onto bills.
Why does it matter?
Utility shut-offs can quickly become a health and safety emergency. Losing electricity can mean spoiled food, no air conditioning during dangerous heat, and no way to power medical devices. Losing gas can mean no hot water or heat.
The state provides some safeguards, but they are narrow. Disconnections are barred only when temperatures forecast over the next 72 hours are above 95 degrees or below 32 degrees, and certain medical situations can briefly delay a termination. Additionally, shut-offs were most common in October and May, when those weather protections are less likely to apply.
Restoration figures suggest some families do not bounce back quickly. Maryland logged about 115,000 disconnections last year but only a little more than 89,000 reconnections, a gap that could mean some people moved, stayed without service, or turned to unsafe workarounds.
Advocates say rising delivery charges and proposed new increases weigh most heavily on residents already struggling with higher housing, grocery, and transportation expenses.
What's being done?
Before service can be terminated, utilities must send a 14-day notice explaining why the shut-off is happening, how much is owed, any reconnection fees, and what payment arrangements are available. Many customers avoid service interruptions by paying enough to reduce their overdue balance or by enrolling in payment plans.
Earlier this year, regulators temporarily stopped BGE from carrying out shut-offs while the company addressed call center problems. That pause has ended, though extreme heat can still delay disconnections.
For residents seeking help, the main state assistance path is the Office of Home Energy Programs under the Maryland Department of Human Services. A record number of ratepayers are already relying on state or utility aid, but advocates say the available support is still not enough, and some households do not qualify.
Many families, therefore, end up in an uneasy middle ground: earning too much to receive aid but too little to keep absorbing repeated rate hikes.
Nieland explained: "You already owe a big bill. Putting down a deposit on top of that — that's going to be tough and sometimes impossible for people."
"Not even just from the people right on the line," Nieland said. It's people who "would have been on good footing and are opening these bills, and they're shell-shocked."
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