In our neighborhood (Parkville), there have recently been guys going around claiming to be from BGE and saying they can save us money on energy -- but first we have to show them our BGE bill or give them our BGE account number. I don't know of anyone who's fallen for it yet, but I do worry about some of the senior citizens who might be at risk. I'm sure BGE isn't sending these guys around.

The headline to this piece is a bit misleading. BGE employees do visit customers who are behind on their bill. However, the only type of payment they can accept is check or credit card - no cash. Also, there are third-party suppliers who call or visit customers offering to sell them natural gas or electricity. Sometimes those companies do ask to see the customer's BGE bill or account number. A list of BGE qualified residential suppliers is listed on our website, www.bge.com in the "energy choice" section.

Ah, Linda, then you might want to update your advisory to make that clear. "Customers should know that in general, the only time a BGE representative may visit a customer’s home is in response to a gas or electric emergency, to check BGE equipment, read BGE meters or to start or stop service" sure makes it sound as if collections is not something going on in person.

Right now the headline says, "BGE isn't sending staffers to your door to collect." I'll change that.

Thanks for updating the headline and your suggestion on how BGE might clarify its message.

The same thing that happened to Linda happened to me. It was almost 8pm at night and the man claimed to be from "Spark Energy" and said he could give me a discount on my BGE bill. I don't remember exactly what he said but he was trying to convince me that BGE was outsourcing some of their energy load to smaller companies. Please be careful and ask for identification or a written contract if this happens. No respectable business goes door to door late in the evening.

Linda and Sean, that is actually legitimate. Since MD has changed the laws, you are able to receive competitive prices from other companies for your utility bills. Although it may seem strange, BGE still sends the bill since they provide the line of transmission. The only way for these companies to show you how much money you will save is by comparing your kilowatt usage and rate to what they offer. If you pay 15 cents per kilowatt and they charge you 10 cents, you will save a decent amount of money. It is not a scam. Although, some of these companies might require a lengthy contract. Some others don't.

Sean:

The visit from the man representing another energy company sounds legitimite.

Due to changes in law, BGE customers can now choose the energy company that supplies the electricity delivered to them by BGE. There are now a number of energy companies authorized/licensed by the Maryland Public Service Commission to supply electricity in much of the state.

When you enroll with one of them, they supply the electricity (commodity) that you use and BGE delivers it. There is no service interruption. Nothing is connected or disconnected.

To understand how this works and to see the price difference between BGE's relatively high price for residential electricity supply and what you can get it for, go to http://www.lowerelectricityrates.com/

It takes four minutes and costs nothing to lower the cost of your electricity.

I live in parkville and have had the same exeperiences that Linda & Sean write about. A younger gentleman knocked on our door at 7:30pm on a Sunday night asking to see my BGE bill. The whole thing was so weird and off-putting of course I just politley declined and asked him to leave. But that seems like a scam to me.

Energy deregulation gives Marylanders a choice as to which company supplies its energy - while delivery remains the utility's job. Options are listed on BGE's website. Viridian Energy is a great choice because it offers 20% renewable energy ("Everyday Green" about three times the current state mandate) with no contract nor cancellation fee. Households can reduce carbon emissions the equivalent of planting over 100 trees or driving 2,000 less miles per year. Enrollment is free and takes minutes at www.viridian.com/enrollment.

Folks, please don't use the comments here to advertise businesses. You're always welcome to link back to your business, but the comments themselves should be an actual conversation.

The Public Service Commission has a website with information about shopping for electricity.
http://webapp.psc.state.md.us/ecm/home.cfm

It's true that BGE's residential customers have the opportunity to choose their electricity supplier, and there are more and more opportunities out there these days. But suppliers should not be claiming to be from BGE or to be participating in a BGE program, should they be making statements to the effect that BGE is seeking to outsource supply to them. Those statements are not true, and the salespeople or their companies could be violating Maryland law or regulations by making them.

Mdenergygal is right that the Maryland Public Service Commission has information about electricity shopping on its website -- in fact, that information has just been enhanced and now is easier to find (just click on the blinking lightbulb on the home page, www.psc.state.md.us). Please go there or call the Commission, 410.767.8000, if you have questions or need more information as you consider whether or not to switch to a new supplier.

In addition, people like Sean and Linda should report misrepresentations like the ones they describe to the Commission -- they can file an on-line complaint form through the website or call our Office of External Affairs, 410.767.8000.

Thanks.

Doug Nazarian, PSC Chairman