For Immediate Release
Contact
BGE Media Hotline
410-470-7433
BALTIMORE (Nov. 4, 2021) – With colder temperatures arriving, many customers are beginning to increase their use of natural gas for heating, cooking and hot water. This is a perfect time to have licensed appliance technicians and plumbers inspect natural gas appliances—furnaces, ovens, dryers, fireplaces, hot water heaters—and home piping to ensure they are operating safely and efficiently. It is also time to think about taking steps to reduce the impact of expected rising fuel costs on your monthly utility bill.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), heating fuel costs are rising, primarily due to growth in energy demand as economies begin to return to pre-pandemic levels and a forecasted slightly colder winter this season than last. All heating sources —natural gas, electricity, oil and propane—are expected to increase in price. These increases are expected to affect the supply portion of the bill—the amount of natural gas and electricity you use. Importantly, BGE's costs—the delivery portion of the bill—are unaffected by the rise in the commodity price.
In order to reduce the impact of nationwide fuel cost increases, BGE purchased more than 50 percent of its natural gas in the summer when prices were lower. However, natural gas prices this winter will be affected by the rise in the wholesale price of natural gas that began earlier this year.
Important natural gas safety reminders:
BGE continuously inspects, maintains, replaces and upgrades gas equipment in the region. Customers should also ensure their own gas equipment is regularly inspected, maintained and repaired by licensed plumbers and technicians. All piping and appliances after the gas meter are a customer responsibility. Check your connectors- older brass flexible gas connectors that are attached to home appliances could be a possible safety hazard.
For more information on natural gas safety, visit www.bge.com/gassafety.
Important energy efficiency and bill management tips:
Customers can take advantage of energy efficiency programs to save energy and money, including energy assessments that identify ways to save even more. To learn more about BGE's residential programs visit www.bge.com/WaysToSave.
By following a few simple tips and making straightforward energy efficiency improvements during the fall, customers could save 20 percent or more on their winter heating bills.
Monitor Usage
Through BGE's MyAccount at www.bge.com/MyAccount/, customers can track their energy use, set up high usage alerts, get tips on how to reduce energy costs, and learn which appliances use the most energy.
Bill Relief and Assistance Programs
BGE offers a variety of bill relief options and assistance programs to help customers make ends meet. The company has made new payment plans available, which can spread outstanding balance payments up to 24 months, with no money down and no interest charged. In addition, budget billing makes short-term fluctuations in monthly bills easier to handle by dividing annual energy costs evenly throughout the year.
Additional customer assistance programs include:
Residential customers should act now and can find out more about options online at www.bge.com/MyAccount/CustomerSupport/.
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BGE is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility, providing safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.3 million electric customers and more than 680,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company was founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility and remains headquartered in Baltimore City to this day. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com and connect with BGE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.