Why are utility bills so high? Prince George’s leader seeks investigation

With cold temperatures and a major snow and ice storm, many Prince George’s County residents were prepared to see bigger utility bills. But what arrived in the mail came as a shock.

“My electric has gone up 75%” said Patricia Monroe.

Monroe, who lives in Oxon Hill, said she feels like one of the lucky ones. Others who live in her neighborhood have seen increases close to $1,000, she said.

“I know somebody who stopped taking blood pressure medicine because they couldn’t afford it anymore. That’s dangerous. So now you’re looking at the effects on people’s health when they can’t afford to pay for heat, buy their groceries and pay for their medication. So, it has a huge effect,” she said.

It’s why Councilmember Edward Burroughs introduced a resolution that calls for Maryland Office of People’s Counsel – a state agency that advocates for Maryland’s residential utility consumers – to investigate why Pepco customers are seeing such a major increase in their bills.

“We’re asking for transparency. We’re asking whether or not these increases are justified. For so many residents, we can’t fathom that these rates could be justified,” he said.

Pepco said the brutally cold temperatures played a major factor, with customers using about 70% more energy in January than they did in November.

But Pepco said another reason for high bills is energy supply costs rising significantly due to a lower supply of energy in Maryland. Pepco is in charge of distributing the energy, not generating it.

“We are seeing the demand due to large energy usage, primarily data centers, causing a lot of strain on the grid. And that is the reason that supply prices are increasing the way that they’re doing,” said Will Ellis, Pepco’s director of government and external affairs.

How to get help paying your utility bills

District 8 senior residents can now apply for $500 from the county to help pay for their utility bills. It’s something that Monroe, who’s the head of her neighborhood association, says is helpful but not enough. She called for the root cause to be addressed.

“Who’s making these decisions and what can we do? Because this has to stop,” she said.

Senior residents in District 8 have until March 29 to apply for the $500 utility support fund.

Pepco also has a customer relief fund that helps lower-income residents pay their bills.

A ICE facility is proposed for Hyattsville, Maryland, sparking a protest by community members and leaders including Rep. Glenn Ivey and Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy. News4’s Juliana Valencia reports.