Residents across the city are expressing frustration and concern over skyrocketing energy bills, with many questioning the practices of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE).
“My rate has skyrocketed,” said Falacia Hall who lives in a three-bedroom rowhouse with her mother.
“My bill was 2-thousand and something dollars. I’m not home, just one person all day at home, so how is this gas and electric going up so high?” asks Hall.
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Henry McGee, who lives in a one-bedroom apartment with his two children, shared a similar experience. “They went up on me like 60 dollars,” he said. “You figure me…two kids…how am I supposed to live?”
Tenaria Harris faced a $500 bill shortly after moving into her new home. “I ain’t even get my stuff in there and they sent me a 500-dollar bill,” she said. “And I know I didn’t spend 500 dollars in three weeks of moving in.”
These stories of sticker shock have quickly turned into stories of survival. “I’m barely home. I have one light on,” said one resident. Another added, “Only thing I can do is pay the bill every month.”
With rates expected to rise even further before summer, some customers fear the cost of energy could soon be out of reach. “You can’t win. You can’t win,” said one frustrated resident. “You lose every day.”