How to lower your electric bill in Maryland

Seven ways, in the order worth trying them

The first three lower the bill without changing how you live. Four and five keep a bill you can't pay from becoming a crisis. Six and seven are checks you do once and habits you keep.

1. Get the free home energy check-up

   EmPOWER Maryland's Quick Home Energy Check-up is a visit from a utility-approved contractor who installs energy-saving items on the spot: LED bulbs, efficient showerheads and faucet aerators, smart power strips, pipe insulation. They leave a list of bigger upgrades with rebates attached. You already pay for EmPOWER through a small charge on every BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power, Potomac Edison and SMECO bill, so this is your money coming back. Homeowners and renters.

   How the check-up works and how to book it →

2. Tune up your heating and cooling

   Heating and cooling is the largest electric use in most Maryland homes, and a system that hasn't been serviced runs harder than it should on every bill. EmPOWER rebates cover most or all of a professional tune-up by a participating contractor, and the contractor handles the rebate paperwork. Best done before the first cold snap or the first heat wave.

   HVAC tune-up rebates by utility →

3. Add community solar

   Subscribe to a share of a solar farm in your utility's territory and a credit appears on your regular electric bill. Nothing is installed, your utility doesn't change, and you can cancel anytime. Income-qualified households get a larger discount, often around 25%. Open to BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power and Potomac Edison customers, renters included. Start with the Public Service Commission's list of registered organizations.

   How community solar works and how to join →

4. Ask your utility for budget billing and a payment arrangement

   Budget billing doesn't lower the total, but it replaces the January and August spikes with the same amount every month, which is what keeps a household from falling behind. If you are already behind, a payment arrangement spreads the past-due balance over several months while service stays on. Every Maryland utility offers both. Ask for them by name, and ask at the same time whether the utility has its own hardship or customer assistance program.

5. If your income qualifies: OHEP and no-cost home upgrades

   One state application through the Office of Home Energy Programs is considered for heating help (MEAP), electric help (EUSP) and a one-time grant toward a past-due balance. Apply even if you think you're over the limit; many working families qualify. Once approved, you usually also qualify for the EmPOWER limited-income program through the Department of Housing and Community Development: no-cost insulation, air sealing, heating system repairs and more, done by approved contractors.

   OHEP, EUSP and shut-off protections, explained → · DHCD program details

6. Check who supplies your electricity

   Look at the "supply" or "supplier" section of your bill. If a company other than your utility is listed, compare its price per kilowatt-hour to your utility's standard offer price, which the utility publishes and which is also printed on the bill as the price to compare. Many third-party contracts start below the utility price and rise after a few months. Maryland Public Service Commission rules let you return to the utility's standard offer; read your supplier contract for any early cancellation fee first. We don't recommend suppliers. The utility's standard offer is the safe default.

7. The small stuff that adds up

   • Set the thermostat a few degrees lower in winter and higher in summer, and let it drift further while you sleep or are out. A programmable or smart thermostat does this for you.
   • Turn the water heater down to 120°F. It is often set higher than it needs to be from the factory.
   • Swap any remaining incandescent or halogen bulbs for LEDs. The check-up in step one does the first batch for free.
   • Put TVs, game consoles and chargers on a power strip and switch it off. Devices that are "off" still draw power all day.
   • Wash in cold water, run full loads, clean the dryer lint trap every time, and check the refrigerator door seal with a sheet of paper.