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A utility will never call or text you to demand your bank account information or try to have you pay by prepaid card or Western Union to avoid disconnection. Many times, the scammer will call or text you from a spoofed number and it will look like a local number.
If you are the victim of a scam, contact your utility, and if a money scam, also contact the police. Remember, once the scammer gets the money, there is no way to get it back. If you are concerned about your utility bill, call your utility directly.
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Make your home more comfortable and save money with energy-efficiency upgrades that may cost you nothing!
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) offers free energy-saving services to homeowners and renters of all income levels.
These upgrades can help:
- Lower your monthly utility bills
- Improve home comfort and air quality
- Increase the livability of your property
Free upgrades may include:
- Insulation
- Hot water system improvements
- Furnace repair or replacement
- Renewable energy systems
- Health and safety enhancements
How it works:
- Apply for energy-efficiency services through DHCD.
- DHCD will match you with all available funding sources.
- If eligible, you’ll get a letter assigning you a contractor.
- Schedule your in-home energy assessment.
- The contractor completes the recommended upgrades, which may be at no cost to you!
Apply for energy-efficiency services through DHCD.
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Once a year the OPC team gets together for an afternoon to recharge and share a bite at the park.
This is our third annual retreat, and it was another one for the books!
Read about the OPC team.
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Rewiring the Rules: What Maryland’s New Utility Laws Mean for You
Big changes from recent legislation might be coming. Legislation addressed gas infrastructure, multiyear rate plans, and even data center energy use. Join us in this 30-minute session and learn how these reforms came to be, what they might mean for your wallet, and what’s next in the fight for fair utility rates.
Join us July 8, 12-12:30PM
Sign up here.
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Where have all of the retail energy suppliers gone?
Have you been on the MD supplier shopping websites, mdelectricchoice.com and mdgaschoice.com, and noticed a decline in available energy supplier offers?
Senate Bill 1, legislation that was passed in 2024, went into effect in January 2025. This new law aims to change the regulatory structure for marketing and selling of electricity and gas in Maryland to further protect Maryland residential customers.
As to the availability of energy retail suppliers in Maryland, Senate Bill 1 does not prohibit energy retail suppliers from operating in Maryland, but expands rules to protect consumers that participating energy suppliers must follow. As a result of those rule changes, many energy retail suppliers are voluntarily deciding to no longer operate in Maryland.
Check out our FAQs for more information.
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For questions or assistance, contact Brandi Nieland, Director of Consumer Assistance at brandi.nieland@maryland.gov. |
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Your People's Counsel is David S. Lapp. Our team is here to help and advocate for you. We represent Maryland residential customers before the Public Service Commission and federal agencies, and we provide you assistance dealing with your utility issues, including affordable and reliable service.
To see what OPC is currently working on, click here for our recent press releases or click here for our media coverage.
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