Suppliers sell low, then bill high.
Below are retail energy supplier’s rates CHARGED in Maryland’s BGE service territory.
Supplier examples below compare supplier’s rate to BGE’s regulated price.
Ambit (Vistra), Atlantic Energy, BGE Home (Constellation), Constellation, CleanSky-Titan Gas & Power, Clearview Energy, CleanChoice, Direct Energy (NRG), Energy Plus Holdings (NRG), Discount Power (NRG), Great American, Green Mountain (NRG), IDT, IGS, Inspire, Just Energy, Josco, Major Energy (Spark), Maryland Gas & Electric (MDGE-Vistra), MPE&G, National Gas, NRG Retail, RPA Energy, SFE, SmartEnergy, Spark Energy, Spring Power, StateWise Energy, Viridian, WGL (Washington Gas) and XOOM (NRG).
Supplier rates are compared to regulated utility rate during that billing cycle. Yearly electricity average assumed is 10,000 kWh electricity, and 800 therms of natural gas.
Vistra’s Ambit electricity $0.13374 vs. BGE’s $0.08 / kwh.
67% mark-up. $540 a year*
Vistra’s - Ambit gas $0.67 vs. BGE’s $0.32 / therm gas.
97% mark-up. $280 more a year.
Atlantic Energy’s gas rate $0.7499 vs. BGE’s $0.32 / therm.
134% mark-up. $344 more per year.
During pandemic.
Atlantic Energy’s electricity $0.127 / kwh vs. BGE’s $.07.
81% mark-up. $570 more per year.
During pandemic.
BGE Home (Constellation) gas $0.5599 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.42
33% mark-up. $111 more per year.
BGE Home is a deregulated supplier owned by Exelon’s Constellation.BGE Home is not BGE, the regulated utility in MD that as also owned by Exelon.
CleanChoice $0.41 / kWh vs. BGE $0.10
400% mark-up. $3,000 more per year.
Clearview electricity $0.31 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.10
300% mark-up. $2,000 more per year.
Clearview Energy sells deregulated energy supply that’s “100% renewable.” In July 2022, Clearview informed Maryland customers they no longer purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) but decided to make donations to Arbor Tree Foundation to be “green.”
During pandemic.
Clearview gas $0.70 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.40
75% mark-up. $240 more per year.
CleanSky Energy/ Titan Energy gas $0.149 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
112% mark-up. $790 more per year.
Titan Gas recently re-named itself CleanSky Energy. This is the initial rate sold in 21216 for low-income family. Price doesn’t have USD or a decimal point mazing it confusing for consumers to see rates charged.
Jan. ‘23 Constellation electricity $0.179 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.10
79% markup
Exelon spun Constellation off as separate stock Feb 2022. While they were part of Exelon that charged the same rates as BGE, but not anymore. This account billed Dec & Jan in Jan, and Constellation charged 79% more.
Constellation (Exelon) gas $0.549 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.37
48% mark-up. $143 more per year.
Constellation & BGE are both owned by Exelon. During pandemic.
Energy Plus Holdings (NRG) electricity $.139 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.08
74% mark-up. $590 more per year.
NRG’s Direct Energy gas $0.649 and $0.919 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.45 / therm.
50-104% mark-up. $159 to $375 more per year.
NRG’s Direct Energy electricity $0.1309 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07.
87% mark-up. $610 more per year.
NRG’s - Discount Power electricity $0.103 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07.
50% mark-up. $350 more per year.
During pandemic.
Great American Power electricity $0.19 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
166 % mark-up. 242$ more per year (avg account).
Daily & monthly fees force consumers to calculate a breakeven analysis to figure out if these “innovative” billing ideas work for them. For this very low-income energy assistance account, a $16 monthly fee did not.
Account only used 157 electricity kWh in Feb. Avg is about 1,000-1,400 Kwh. Account would’ve paid BGE $11 for supply, yet paid Great American $29.
Maryland energy assistance paid the extra $18 this month. Account gets credited $35 to lower the bill to make it affordable. Account holder was elderly, had no recollection of buying Great American Power and was surprised to learn they paid 0.19 / kWh.
NRG’s Green Mountain electricity $0.149 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07.
112% mark-up. $790 more per year.
“Help the planet all summer long with renewable energy.”
During pandemic.
NRG’s - Green Mountain gas $0.99 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.41
140% mark-up. $450 more per year.
IDT electricity $0.1679 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
140% mark-up. $980 more per year.
During pandemic.
IDT gas $0.96 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.38
152% mark-up. $448 more per year.
NO PRICE PRINTED: Adding to consumer confusion, suppliers in MD can legally send in to the utility billing system the total “amount owed” without adding the rate / unit. This means that consumers must do the math on their own to calculate the rate paid. That’s needed to compare deregulated rates to utility rates. IDT charged $105.60 and divided by 110 therms used that invoice = $0.96/therm. BGE’s gas was $0.38 / therm that period. This low-income account paid $63.80 more in May 2020 for their deregulated gas, even during the pandemic. When consumer can’t compare rates, they continue to pay 1.5 times more for the same therm of gas.
IGS electricity $0.0899 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07225
24% mark-up. $174 more per year.
During pandemic.
Shell Oil’s -Inspire electricity $0.159 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
130% mark-up. $890 more per year.
Inspire markets “100% clean energy, no surprises.”
Josco gas $0.862 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.42
105% mark-up. $354 more per year.
Sold variable rate plan at steps to Baltimore City Social Services July 2018.
Just Energy gas $0.7711 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.40
93% mark-up. $297 more per year.
Sold fixed rates plan at Sam’s Club 2018 and 2019 for $70 Sam’s Club gift card.
Major Energy (Spark) $0.195 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.08
143% mark-up. $1,150 more per year.
Heavy direct sales focus in Baltimore City.
Vistra’s - Maryland Gas & Electric (Vistra) $0.1069 electricity / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07 + $4.95 fee
53% mark-up. $430 more per year.
MPower $0.109 electricity / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
56% mark-up. $390 more per year.
Renewable brand.
Spark’s-National Gas / $1.36 / therm gas vs. BGE’s $0.51/therm
166% mark-up. $680 more per year.
It’s legal to charge a customer fee, service charge at any price for any reason.
NRG electricity $0.175 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.10
75% mark-up. $750 more per year.
NRG gas $0.69 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.40
73% mark-up. $232 more per year.
During pandemic.
RPA Energy $0.36 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.10
360% mark-up. $2,600 more per year.
“Green” energy for $1800 more a year.
A $5 monthly fee-for what? January 2023’s wholesale rate shock was just passed down to customers.
During pandemic.
SmartEnergy electricity $0.162 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
131% mark-up. $920 more per year.
BGE’s Empower MD energy efficient program is named Smart Energy savers, similar to supplier name.
Spark Energy gas $1.39 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.34
231% mark-up. $776 more per year.
During pandemic.
Spark Energy electricity $0.1979 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.0807
145% mark-up. $1,179 more per year.
Spring Power electricity $0.113 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.07
61% mark-up. $430 more per year.
StateWise Energy electricity $0.26 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.073
256% mark-up. $1,870 more per year.
This “innovative billing” daily $3.29 per day rate for an account that uses 6,400 kwh per year would equate to $0.35 per kwh, about 5 times the BGE standard rate. Not found on statewisenergy.com, or mdelectricchoice.com, it’s unclear how this energy assistance account was charged this daily rate.
Figuring out if a daily rate is smart requires a breakeven analysis. For real. Need yearly usage and utility gas rate which is only found online. Clear that everyday consumers struggle with this and pay 250% more.
Vistra’s Viridian electricity $0.143 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.082
74% mark-up. $610 more per year.
Many Viridian’s plans are “renewable” energy, though utility bill doesn’t print. Reporting and renewable not defined by MD.
WGL’s electricity $0.152 / kWh vs. BGE’s $0.10
50% mark-up. $500 more per year.
5% wind energy costs nothing in renewable energy certificates (RECs)
WGL natural gas $1.55 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.93
50% mark-up. January 2023 wholesale rates were high given a cold-snap on the East Coast. High rates passed on to customers.
NRG’s - XOOM natural gas $0.699 / therm vs. BGE’s $0.35
100% mark-up. $279 per year.
During pandemic.