VOTE “YES” ON SB 1 / HB 267

FIX MARYLAND’S CONSUMER RETAIL ENERGY

SB1 / HB267 FACT SHEET

The Problem: We all get those calls and mailers. Or you get the knock on the door. Retail energy suppliers are everywhere. They are selling in malls, at Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs, and even outside the Department of Social Services, touting low-cost clean energy.

And too often, third-party retail energy suppliers rely on predatory sales tactics to lure families, especially low-income, into signing long-term contracts that often cost more. Families were charged $500 more than BGE and Pepco electricity in 2022.

The Solution! Thankfully, Maryland’s Senator Augustine and Delegate Crosby have introduced HB 267/SB 1 Electricity and Gas – Retail Supply – Regulation and Consumer Protection.

The legislation keeps choice AND adds smart guardrails to rein in supplier high rates and the in-person sales shenanigans. It also imposes new standards for “clean energy” marketing and offers and expands Maryland Public Service Commission oversight.

Tell your lawmakers to vote YES on HB 267/SB 1 Electricity and Gas – Retail Supply – Regulation and Consumer Protection by:

Below are 3 ways to add your voice to fix this:

Your state legislators need to hear from you.

1) Quick & meaningful- AARP Maryland has been in this fight since 2019. Take action with this email action alert that goes to your legislators. AARP MD SB1 Action Alert

2) Meaningful: Call your state legislators. Look up your STATE senator and delegates here. Call their office, and share your energy supplier experience. Say “Vote YES on SB1 or HB267.”

3) Super-dedicated: Send in official written testimony to support HB267 on February 14th. Interested? Email us for directions. energysupplierhelpdesk@gmail.com.  Or, text 443-595-7844.

BACKSTORY FROM AN ENERGY ADVOCATE - HOW’D WE GET HERE?

Backstory on why I’ve been a dog-on-a-bone fixing this little-known “retail supplier fleece” issue since 2016.

As a Baltimore Fishbowl reporter from 2014 to 2019, I first noticed obscenely high supplier rates in 2016 on a few friend’s BGE bills. I then discovered 20+ different suppliers sent sales guys into Baltimore’ lowest income ZIP codes. I co-wrote the Abell Report to spotlight this issue and I pulled pricing data from GEDCO clients in heart of Baltimore. It was evident the rates were very high for families barely making rent, Many paid $500 more for BGE energy! They had no clue how it had happened and no idea how to compare rates.

And this scam is happening in 13 US states. Then I learned many “eco-buyers” were paying very high rates rates and they assumed they were paying more for wind energy. Come to find out, “green offers” are the same grid energy as their neighbors not on retail, plus a few renewable energy certificates (RECs) for $725 more a year!

Keeping your power on is serious. I’ve often said, “this isn’t a Girl Scout cookie, it’s heat, food, showers and health.” This “legal energy fleece” is happening in 13 states because they all deregulated energy around 2000.

According to the Wall Street Journal, about 10 million US families have spent about $35 billion more than “those big bad regulated utility” rates.  That’s with a “B.” And I have helped over 2,000 families fix it. Many were terminated, or had a termination notice from an extra $200-$4,000 on their BGE bills.

In Maryland’s General Assembly 2 excellent legislators sponsored SB1 / HB267. It keeps choice AND adds smart guardrails to rein in the high rates, the bad sales and door sales shenanigans.

Fixing retail choice really is a ‘David versus energy Goliaths.’ Fortune 500 NRG Energy and Vistra Energy out of Texas set in their big guns lobbyists to fight SB1.

Why? It’s the first time their residential electricity and gas rates would have regulatory oversight, like BGE, Pepco, Delmarva and SMECO rates have. Not only do all these hundreds of thousands MD. retail energy contracts convert to variable rates, energy supplier rates have no oversight - they legally can charge whatever they can. And consumers set-it-and-forget-it until their rates are so high, they pull out their utility bill and ask questions. In 2022 alone, 370,000 families paid an average of $500 more for electricity. We think about $200 more for gas. Some paid $2,000 more!

Thanks- Laurel Peltier (Chair, MD Energy Advocates Coalition)

Have questions? Email: info@energysupplierhelpdesk.org