How to lower your electric bill in Maryland

To lower your electric bill in Maryland, start with your usage and your supply contract. Cut the electricity you don’t need, compare supplier terms, and book a utility energy checkup. If paying the bill is the problem, apply for assistance now. Look at solar or a battery after those checks, using your own bill.

This guide covers households served by Pepco, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). If another company delivers your power, the supplier, usage, and assistance sections still apply, but check that utility’s own pages for checkups and rates. Programs change, so confirm details with the utility before you book or switch anything. For a line-by-line look at one utility’s charges, see why your Pepco bill is so high and why your BGE bill is so high.

What lowers a Maryland electric bill fastest?

Start with changes that cost nothing: switch off what you aren’t using, and compare your supply contract with the utility’s default rate. Then book a utility energy checkup to find the bigger leaks. If the bill is out of reach, apply for help at the same time, not after.^1,2,3

Work through it in this order:

1. Put your current bill next to one from a similar season. Find usage, supply price, billing dates, and any previous balance.
2. Find your supplier. Compare its written terms with the utility’s Standard Offer Service (SOS), the default supply service for customers who haven’t chosen another supplier.²
3. Cut avoidable use (the next sections have a list).
4. Book the utility checkup and confirm any charge before the visit.
5. Compare your next bill with the earlier one. Note weather and household changes before you credit any one action.

Why did your bill go up?

A Maryland electric bill rises when you use more electricity or pay higher rates. Cold or hot weather drives up heating and cooling use, and a supplier’s introductory price can end. Read the kilowatt-hours (kWh) used, the supply price, and the delivery charges together before you pick a fix.^4,5

The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) names rising distribution rates and extreme weather as the biggest drivers of higher bills for Maryland customers. Supply costs are volatile and can add to the total.⁴ A bigger amount due can also be an unpaid balance carried forward. Separate that from the current charges before you compare months, and check that the two billing periods are the same length. A 33-day bill next to a 28-day bill will mislead you.

This table pairs what you might see with where to look next.

Here is a hypothetical example. Two winter bills show about the same kWh, but the second one’s supply line is higher and the supplier’s name is new on the statement. That points to an expired introductory price, so the contract is the first place to look. If instead the supply price held steady and the kWh climbed, suspect a cold snap, a space heater, or a second refrigerator in the garage.

Wholesale costs also feed into supply prices. Our guide to how PJM, the regional grid operator, sets capacity prices and how they reach your bill covers that piece.

Cut avoidable use before anything else

You can start these tonight, and most of them cost little or nothing. OPC’s energy-efficiency page lists simple habits, and it is clear that they don’t replace a full energy audit by a trained professional.¹ These are the ones it names:

• Look for little red, blue, or white lights on electronics at night. Anything glowing is drawing power, so turn off or unplug what you don’t need.
• Swap older light bulbs for efficient models.
• Close shades on hot days to keep indoor temperatures down.
• Vacuum dust off the pipes or grid on the back of the refrigerator. More dirt makes it work harder and use more electricity.
• Check the furnace air filter. A dirty one makes the furnace work harder.
• Have the water heater checked to learn how often the tank should be cleaned out. OPC suggests having a professional show you the first time, then setting a schedule.
• If you have a heat pump, keep leaves, limbs, and bushes away from the outdoor unit’s vents.
• Feel for drafts around windows, doors, and exterior-wall outlets on a windy day. OPC suggests low-cost sealing products.

OPC also points to the depth of attic insulation and the attic door, since a gap there lets conditioned air escape.¹ Not every item pays off in every house, and none replaces an actual measurement of where your home loses energy. That is the job of the checkup covered below.

Should you switch to a third-party electricity supplier?

Only after you compare its price, fees, and renewal terms with your utility’s supply price. A low starting rate says little about the cost over the whole contract, and OPC warns that retail supplier prices may be higher or lower than SOS and can change at any time.⁵

Choosing a supplier changes who sells you electricity. Your local utility still delivers it and still bills for delivery.⁵ OPC doesn’t list supplier offers. It points you to the Maryland Public Service Commission’s (PSC) MDElectricChoice.com instead.⁵ The PSC’s Standard Offer Service page links to that rate calculator and to each utility’s supply price comparison, which covers summer months, winter months, and a weighted annual average.²

Before you sign, find these in the contract:

• Fixed or variable price. OPC calls variable rates very high risk.
• The end date of any introductory price.
• Administrative fees.
• Automatic renewal, and the price it renews at.
• Cancellation or early termination fees.
• The supplier’s PSC license number, which OPC says should appear in the contract itself.⁵

Never let a sales agent copy your account details. OPC says not to show a supplier’s agent your utility bill or give them your utility account number or Customer Choice ID. It also says only the utility customer, or a legal representative, can enter a contract with a supplier.⁵ Gift cards and airline miles belong in the math too. OPC suggests asking whether the incentive has real value compared with a higher rate.⁵

Utility energy checkups and what they cost

Pepco and BGE each list a Quick Home Energy Check-up at no additional cost, and SMECO lists a Home Energy Analysis on the same terms. A basic walk-through and a detailed diagnostic audit differ in scope and price, so confirm which one you’re booking.^6,7,8

EmPOWER Maryland, the efficiency program behind these offers, is funded through a charge on utility bills.^9,7

The 2026 cutoffs are the part most likely to move, so here they are side by side, straight from the two utility pages.

1. 1November 6, 2026Last day BGE asks you to request an appointment
2. 2November 24, 2026Last day to request a 2026 appointment
3. 3November 30, 2026Last day to receive a 2026 checkup

If these dates have passed when you read this, the utility pages will show whether the programs continue into 2027. Check Pepco’s checkup page, BGE’s checkup page, or SMECO’s analysis page.

Pepco and BGE both separate the visual checkup from the more detailed Home Performance with ENERGY STAR audit, which includes diagnostic testing. Each lists a fee of $100 for that audit.^6,7 Pepco’s page adds that the program provides rebates of up to $7,500 for completing eligible improvements.⁶ SMECO’s page says you could be eligible for up to $7,500 in instant rebates from SMECO toward upgrade costs.⁸ Rebate availability changes, so get the current terms in writing before you sign a contractor agreement.

At the door, Pepco lists LED bulbs, faucet aerators, smart thermostats, weatherstripping and other items, and says not every customer receives every product.⁶ BGE says not everyone is eligible for a smart thermostat.⁷ SMECO suggests you walk through the home with your advisor, because the findings are specific to your house, and you can decline every upgrade.⁸

Should you switch to a time-of-use rate?

Switch to a time-of-use (TOU) rate only after you check when your household uses power and when the tariff’s peak hours fall. You need enough flexibility to move use into cheaper hours. SMECO notes that its TOU comparison calculator isn’t available to members with solar panels in its net metering program.¹⁰

SMECO publishes enough detail to show how big the gap can be. These are its residential supply rates as of August 1, 2026.

• Summer
• Winter

• SOS (flat)12.48 cents per kWh13.19 cents per kWh
• TOU off-peak9.019 cents per kWh10.628 cents per kWh
• TOU peak, weekdays25.781 cents per kWh23.642 cents per kWh

View the data as a table

Rate	Summer	Winter
SOS (flat)	12.48 cents per kWh	13.19 cents per kWh
TOU off-peak	9.019 cents per kWh	10.628 cents per kWh
TOU peak, weekdays	25.781 cents per kWh	23.642 cents per kWh

The peak price is more than double the SOS price in summer, and the off-peak price is lower than SOS in both seasons.¹⁰ So the trade depends on your schedule. SMECO’s summer peak is weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. Winter peaks are weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Weekends and six listed holidays are always off-peak.¹⁰

A TOU rate could suit you if:

• Your home is empty on weekday afternoons in summer.
• You can run the dishwasher, laundry and pool pump after 7 p.m.
• You are home mostly on weekends.

It could cost you if evening cooking and winter-morning heating keep most of your use inside the peak windows. SMECO says its calculator will estimate whether you would save on your current routine, and TOU requires a smart meter. Its SOS and TOU rates also don’t apply to energy bought from an alternate supplier.¹⁰ These are supply prices, and a Power Cost Adjustment is charged or credited either way.¹⁰

For Pepco or BGE, start with the supply price comparison pages the PSC links from its Standard Offer Service page, and ask the utility which rate options your account can use today.² SMECO’s hours apply to SMECO only.

What if paying the bill is the problem?

Apply to the Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) while you work on usage. Its Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) provides an electric assistance grant, and other grants cover heating bills and past-due balances. OHEP decides eligibility, and all of its programs are income-based.³

The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), which runs OHEP, lists these programs as of October 25, 2026.^3,11

Income is the gate. DHS lists these fiscal year 2027 monthly gross income limits.¹¹

Monthly income limit

• Household size 1 person$2,660
• Household size 2 people$3,607
• Household size 3 people$4,553
• Household size 4 people$5,500
• Household size 5 people$6,447
• Household size 6 people$7,393

View the data as a table

Household size	Monthly income limit
Household size 1 person	$2,660
Household size 2 people	$3,607
Household size 3 people	$4,553
Household size 4 people	$5,500
Household size 5 people	$6,447
Household size 6 people	$7,393

DHS’s page runs up to ten people, so larger households should check the full list. DHS’s application page calls energy assistance a year-round program. You can apply online at MarylandBenefits.gov, by mail, by phone, at a drop box, or in person at a local office. Bring a photo ID, proof of residency, Social Security cards for everyone in the household, gross income for the last 30 days, and a utility or heating bill.¹¹ Use the agency’s current checklist before you send personal documents. You don’t need a turn-off notice to qualify.³

Budget billing spreads annual utility bills into even monthly payments to avoid seasonal spikes.³ That evens out when you pay. Your home still uses the same amount of electricity.

OHEP also refers customers to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for weatherization programs, which DHS says provide improvements and repairs at no cost.³ OPC adds that DHCD provides EmPOWER programs for limited-income residential customers free of charge.⁹

Where do solar and a battery fit after the cheap fixes?

Look at solar after you’ve reviewed your usage and your roof. Judge a battery against a specific goal, such as using stored solar later or backing up chosen circuits. Compare any proposal with your utility’s terms and the electricity you’d still buy. Neither purchase makes every charge on your bill disappear.^12,13,14

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lists what drives solar savings: how much electricity you use, the size of the system, whether you buy or lease, and how much power it makes given your roof’s direction and sunlight. Your utility’s rates and what it pays for power you send back to the grid matter too.¹² DOE also notes that efficiency upgrades mean you need less solar to power the home.¹² That’s the reason to do the cheap fixes first: they can shrink the system you’d have to buy.

Use this table to match your situation to a next step.

Under Maryland’s net metering law, if your generation in a month exceeds the electricity the grid supplied, you are still billed customer charges for that month (Public Utilities Article section 7-306(f)(4)).¹⁴ A big solar system still leaves a bill. A review of residential solar should start with your recent bills, and the current export-credit terms should sit beside the numbers. Get the assumptions in writing. For the cost question, see our guide on whether solar is worth it in Maryland. If a proposal counts any rebate or tax credit, find out which one, and have a tax professional check any credit before you rely on it.

A battery stores energy for later. Look at battery storage if backup power or shifting solar use matters to you, and keep those goals separate from any bill-savings estimate.¹²

A standard grid-tied solar system shuts off during a grid outage. DOE says that for panels to produce power on their own, the system needs a properly configured inverter and a storage system.¹³ The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (now the National Laboratory of the Rockies) adds that a system able to run during an outage must isolate itself from the grid in a safe manner, using additional power management electronics.¹⁵ Get the list of circuits a backup design supports, and its limits, in writing. Our guide on what solar panels do in a power outage covers the details.

Where to start this week

Start with the bill in your hand. Find out whether usage, supply price, or an old balance moved it, then pick the matching row above. Book the checkup before the November cutoffs. If money is tight right now, OHEP comes before any equipment decision.

When you want a second set of eyes on whether solar suits your roof and electricity use, bring a recent bill and your planned home improvements to solar and storage services. Book a free consultation or call (301) 953-4140.

Solar savings and incentive eligibility depend on your roof, your usage, your utility, and your tax situation. Incentive programs change and some have limited funding. We are not tax advisors — we will review your bill with you and tell you what you may qualify for. Confirm any tax credit with a qualified tax professional.

Program rules decide who qualifies. Ask any installer whether it is on the program’s contractor list.

Sources (15)

1. Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, “Energy Efficiency Tips,” https://opc.maryland.gov/Consumer-Learning/Electricity/Energy-Efficiency-Tips (current page, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Maryland Public Service Commission, “Standard Offer Service,” https://psc.maryland.gov/regulated-utilities/electricity/standard-offer-service/ (page updated April 15, 2026; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Maryland Department of Human Services, Office of Home Energy Programs, “Energy Assistance,” https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/about-energy-assistance/ (page updated August 3, 2026; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

4. Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, “Rising Fall Electricity Rates,” https://opc.maryland.gov/Rising-Fall-Electricity-Rates (current page, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩²

5. Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, “Third Party Suppliers,” https://opc.maryland.gov/Consumer-Learning/Electricity/Third-Party-Suppliers (current page, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

6. Pepco, “Quick Home Energy Check-up frequently asked questions,” https://homeenergysavings.pepco.com/md/residential/quick-home-energy-check-up-program/faqs (current page, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

7. BGE Smart Energy Savers Program, “Quick Home Energy Check-up,” https://bgesmartenergy.com/residential/help-me-save/quick-home-energy-check, and its FAQs, https://bgesmartenergy.com/residential/help-me-save/quick-home-energy-check/faqs (current pages, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

8. Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, “Home Energy Analysis FAQs,” https://www.smeco.coop/faqs_category/home-energy-analysis-faqs/ (current page, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

9. Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, “EmPOWER Programs,” https://opc.maryland.gov/Consumer-Learning/Energy-Bill-Savings/EmPOWER-Programs (current page, no date shown; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩²

10. Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, “Time-of-Use Rates,” https://www.smeco.coop/my-account/general-information/rates-fees/time-of-use-rates/ (rates shown as of August 1, 2026; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

11. Maryland Department of Human Services, Office of Home Energy Programs, “How to Apply for Energy Assistance,” https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/apply-energy-assistance/ (page updated July 1, 2026, with fiscal year 2027 income table; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

12. U.S. Department of Energy, “Homeowner’s Guide to Solar,” https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/homeowners-guide-solar (page updated May 15, 2026; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

13. U.S. Department of Energy, “Solar and Resilience Basics,” https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/solar-and-resilience-basics (page updated May 18, 2026; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. Maryland General Assembly, Public Utilities Article section 7-306(f)(4), https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gpu&section=7-306&enactments=false (current consolidated statute as displayed on the General Assembly site; read October 25, 2026). ↩ ↩²

15. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “Will Solar Panels Help When the Power Goes Out? Planning for PV Resilience,” NREL/TP-7A40-75704, March 2020, https://docs.nlr.gov/docs/fy20osti/75704.pdf (published March 2020; read October 25, 2026). ↩