Energy Choice
In the past, utilities such as BGE were responsible for supplying and delivering our customers' natural gas and/or electricity supply. This meant that you could buy natural gas and electricity supply only from your local utility at the price authorized by the state's Public Service Commission (PSC). Today, natural gas and electricity supply are deregulated. Now you can choose to purchase gas and/or electricity supply from any energy supplier that is licensed by the Maryland PSC and registered with BGE, or you can choose to continue receiving your energy supply from BGE.
Whether it's natural gas or electricity supply, your service consists of two parts - supply and delivery. Click on the image to the right for details.
It's Your Choice
With energy choice, you can choose the supplier for natural gas and/or electricity that meets your needs for your home, business or organization.
Business customers with annual natural gas use greater than 12,000 dekatherms should contact their BGE account executive for information about the Daily Metered Program.
BGE's Role
No matter who you purchase your gas and/or electricity supply from, BGE will deliver the natural gas or electricity to your home, organization or business through BGE's pipes and wires. This delivery service is still regulated by the Maryland PSC. And because competition only affects the supply of natural gas and electricity and not the delivery, all distribution pipelines and power lines will continue to be maintained by BGE. So you will still call us to handle emergencies and to restore power during outages.
If you stay with or return to BGE's gas and/or electricity supply, you will be charged the same rate that the PSC has authorized for all customers in your rate class who are purchasing supply from BGE, no more, no less.
The Process - It's Easy!
For gas or electricity:
- Before signing a contract with a new supplier, be sure the company is licensed by the Maryland PSC and registered by BGE.
- Be sure to research suppliers and their programs and billing options carefully.
Compare Cost: - BGE charges the market price for gas, which changes monthly. BGE's monthly gas commodity prices from January 2000 to date can be used to compare BGE's prices to supplier offers. These prices are posted on BGE.com.
- For electricity supply, use the Price to Compare, which appears on your bill below the Summary Box, to compare BGE's prices to supplier offers. This price reflects the average annual price per kilowatt hour (kWh) for generation and transmission for a BGE customer in your rate class. It does not include the delivery price.
- When you have selected a supplier, contact that supplier directly. After you authorize a supplier to enroll you, the supplier will contact BGE.
Changing or Cancelling Suppliers
If, after using the services of one supplier you decide to switch to another, first check the terms of the agreement with your existing supplier, as well as the agreement with the new supplier. Then contact the new supplier to initiate enrollment.
If you choose to cancel supply service with a supplier, the supplier will process your cancellation request for gas service to meet the utility's next available cancellation cycle. For electricity service, the request will be processed within 2 business days after receipt of the cancellation request.
