Customer bills will increase effective with usage starting on Feb. 1, 2022 and as authorized by the Maryland Public Service Commission will be partially reduced by certain tax benefits. With the rate adjustment and offsets approved by the PSC, the average residential electric bill will increase by $3.28 per month and the average residential natural gas bill will increase by $2.40 per month. See bge.com/myp for details.
Why is BGE offering this program?
BGE is offering this program to encourage customers to use less energy during summer peak hours. Managing summer peak demand helps to reduce the need for additional power plants, helps to keep down the overall cost of electricity and eases the burden on Maryland's electricity delivery system as our state's population continues to grow.
Do I need to enroll in BGE Smart Energy Rewards?
No. If you have a smart meter, you can choose whether or not to participate in an Energy Savings Day. If you choose not to reduce your electric usage, or are unable to lower your usage on an Energy Savings Day, you will lose nothing.
What can I do to save a kilowatt hour?
A kilowatt-hour is a measure of energy. BGE Smart Energy Rewards provides you with $1.25 in bill credits for every kilowatt-hour of electricity you reduce on an Energy Savings Day, compared with what you would have normally used. Energy savings tips include:
Turning off and unplugging all electronics, including computers, TVs, game consoles and kitchen appliances.
How do I opt-out of the BGE Smart Energy Rewards program?
BGE Smart Energy Rewards does not require enrollment. You can unsubscribe from receiving Energy Savings Day notifications and choose not to participate during those days. To manage your notification preferences, log onto BGE.com/MyAccount and look for the My Alerts & Notifications section under the My Profile tab.
Does BGE control my energy usage in any way?
No. You make the decision to reduce your electricity usage and earn bill credits on Energy Savings Days. Your credit will be automatically calculated and appear on your next bill. You choose to participate as much or as little as you like. If you are a PeakRewards participant, your PeakRewards device will be cycled up to 50% on Energy Savings Days, but you have the option to override any Energy Savings Day if you do not wish to participate.
Would I be penalized if I choose not to participate?
How are Energy Savings Days determined?
Energy Savings Days typically coincide with the hottest days of the summer when electricity usage is especially high.
How many Energy Savings Days will there be each summer and how long do they last?
BGE plans to call up to three (3) Energy Savings Days per summer, depending on the weather conditions. Energy Savings Days generally last from 1pm – 7pm. On rare occasions, when there is an immediate need to reduce demand, BGE may start an Energy Savings Day after 1pm. Unlike typical Energy Savings Days, these events are not scheduled one day in advance. Customer notifications may go out once the event has started and not all notification types (phone, email, text, and mobile app alert) may be used due to the delivery time constraints. BGE recommends signing up for more than one notification to stay in the know.
What BGE Smart Energy Rewards credits will I receive on my bill?
The BGE Smart Energy Rewards credits will vary depending on the amount of electricity you reduce during an Energy Savings Day compared to your typical usage on days with similar weather. You can earn a bill credit of $1.25 for every kilowatt-hour saved compared to your typical usage.
If you are a PeakRewards participant, you are guaranteed to receive your monthly PeakRewards credit. If you choose to participate in BGE Smart Energy Rewards and reduce your electricity usage during Energy Savings Days, you can earn a bill credit of $1.25 for every kilowatt-hour saved compared to your typical usage. You will receive whichever credit is greater; either your PeakRewards credit or your BGE Smart Energy Rewards credit on your June through September bills.
How much can I save?
Based on results from past years, participating customers saved, on average, $5-$8* per Energy Savings Day. BGE anticipates that there will be up to 10 Energy Savings Days each summer. * Your actual savings will vary.
How does BGE know my typical usage and how is it calculated?
BGE Smart Energy Rewards uses your past electric usage data provided by your smart meter to compare your energy savings during Energy Savings Days to the average amount of electricity you typically use on days with similar weather. To calculate your typical usage, BGE compares electric usage on days with similar weather during the 14 days prior to the Energy Savings Day (excluding holidays, weekends and prior Energy Savings Days).
Why is BGE paying me $1.25 per kilowatt-hour saved on an Energy Savings Day?
The credit you will receive on an Energy Savings Day in exchange for reducing your energy use is about 10 times the price you pay for electricity. BGE is offering this credit to encourage customers to use less electricity during summer peak hours with demand is especially high.
What can I do to reduce electricity if I'm not home from 1 pm – 7 pm on an Energy Savings Day?
When will I receive BGE Smart Energy Rewards credits?
Your credit will appear as “Smart Energy Rewards” on your summer BGE bills (June-September), depending on when each Energy Savings Day occurs. If you are also a PeakRewards customer, your credit will appear as “Smart Energy Rewards/PeakRewards” on your summer BGE bills. You can also view the “Smart Energy Rewards” section in BGE’s mobile app, located under the Usage tab, to find out how much your savings are before they appear on your bill.
How are the BGE Smart Energy Rewards credits funded?
By implementing smart meters and related smart grid technology, including BGE Smart Energy Rewards, BGE is investing in the electric distribution system, which will benefit all customers. While BGE will seek to recover additional program costs through rate changes that customers will see on their bills, we believe that customers can expect their savings to be significantly greater than any potential costs. Customer savings will come from reduced energy and operating costs as well as the credits earned as part of BGE Smart Energy Rewards. To learn more about other ways in which customers can save energy and money through the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program, visit BGESmartEnergy.com.
Would I benefit from increasing my electric usage prior to the Energy Savings Day?
No, you would not. If you increase your energy usage during the two week period leading up to the Energy Savings Day, you may have a greater savings on the Energy Savings Day, but it may also cost you more on your monthly bill since you may have used a greater amount of electricity leading up to the Energy Savings Day.
I took more energy-saving actions during this Energy Savings Day than the last but my credits were lower. Why?
The credit a customer earns varies between each Energy Savings Day because it is not only dependent on the efforts a customer took to reduce their usage on that particular day, but it also factors in what your typical usage has been in the 14 days Day (excluding holidays, weekends and prior Energy Savings Days) leading up to the Energy Savings Day which can be impacted factors such as weather and a change in usage.
I am already a very energy efficient customer. What can I do to reduce my usage on Energy Savings Days to earn a credit?
How will I be notified of an Energy Savings Day?
BGE will notify customers via phone, email, text, or mobile app alert prior to the start of an Energy Savings Day. On rare occasions, when there is an immediate need to reduce demand, customers may receive notifications after the Energy Savings Day has begun. BGE may not be able to deliver all notification types (phone, email, text, and mobile app alert) due to the delivery time constraints. BGE recommends signing up for more than one notification to stay in the know.
How do I change my notification preferences for Energy Savings Days?
Manage your phone, email or text message notification preferences through your online account at BGE.com/MyAccount. Once you're logged in, look for the My Alerts & Notifications section under the My Profile tab. Manage mobile alerts through BGE's mobile app. Once you're logged in, look for the My Alerts Preferences under the More tab.
Download the mobile app here:
Why does the event notification phone call show up on my caller ID as “unknown” instead of BGE?
BGE phone numbers are programmed to reflect our company name in the caller ID as “BGE.” On occasion phone carriers are unable to relay the company name with the phone number information. In order to confirm if BGE is calling you about an Energy Savings Day, you may visit BGE.com/SmartEnergyRewards or call back to the BGE call center.
What is the difference between PeakRewards and BGE Smart Energy Rewards?
As a PeakRewards customer, can I participate in BGE Smart Energy Rewards?
Yes, all residential customers with smart meters are automatically enrolled in BGE Smart Energy Rewards. You will continue to receive PeakRewards bill credit or your BGE Smart Energy Rewards credits, whichever are greater from June through September each year.
How will I know what I saved?
Your smart meter measures total household energy usage. BGE will calculate your savings by comparing your electric usage during an Energy Savings Day with your typical usage on days with similar weather. If you perform a few energy-saving measures during an Energy Savings Days – like turn off all unnecessary lights or use ceiling fans to stay cool instead of your air conditioning– your efforts can make a difference. You will earn a bill credit of $1.25 for every kilowatt-hour reduced during an Energy Savings Day, which will appear on your next BGE electric bill. These savings may exceed what you typically earn through PeakRewards, however if they do not, you will still receive your typical PeakRewards summer bill credits.
Why can’t I earn both my PeakRewards credit and BGE Smart Energy Rewards credit?
Customers who participate in both programs do not receive double the credits because the energy saved from automatically cycling their air conditioning on Energy Savings Days and emergency cycling events also contributes to the overall energy savings that make up the BGE Smart Energy Rewards bill credit.
On an Energy Savings Day, demand for electricity and the price of electricity is high, so it is beneficial to use less of it. During an emergency event, demand for electricity is close to surpassing supply and BGE is required by the regional grid manager to activate its PeakRewards program. This type of event is called to avoid potential brownouts and rolling blackouts area-wide. For customers with water heater switches, during emergency events, their water heater will be cycled. Their water heater will NOT be cycled during and Energy Savings Day.
Can I override my participation in an Energy Savings Day if I’m a PeakRewards customer?
For customers with a PeakRewards thermostat - Why does the air conditioner fan run anytime there is an event or anytime it is set to On or Circ – even if the system is off?
The fan is designed to run throughout an entire cycling event to keep air circulating throughout the house even if the air conditioning is off. Typically, cycling events are on very hot summer days and having the fan on throughout the duration of the event helps keep the air circulating and the home more comfortable during the event.
I’m a PeakRewards customers and I’m signed up to receive cycling notifications. Will I receive a notification when an Energy Savings Day is taking place?
BGE Smart Energy Rewards customers with a PeakRewards device installed in their home will be cycled up to the 50% level from 1 pm – 7 pm on Energy Savings Days. In most cases, these customers are notified by phone, email or text the evening before an Energy Savings Day occurs. This day-ahead notification informs customers that their PeakRewards device will be cycled and encourages the customer to take additional steps to save energy and earn credits on their bill. To ensure you receive these notifications, log into BGE.com/MyAccount and update your notification preferences.