BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Gas and Electric's electricity customers would get a one-time credit of $170 under a legal settlement pending between the state and BGE's parent company, Constellation Energy.Constellation said in a news release Thursday the credit would total $187 million. It would also eliminate BGE customer liability for the decommissioning of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in southern Maryland.
The deal requires legislative approval before the General Assembly adjourns April 7. It would also end the lawsuits filed by both Constellation and the state after the legislature ordered the company to pay more than $386 million in credits. The settlement restores all but $40 million of those credits.Some customers, who have seen their electric bills skyrocket since July, were less than thrilled with the prospect of a one-time rebate.Mary Rosso, who owns a two-bedroom condominium in Glen Burnie, said her electric bill is her biggest monthly expense. To keep costs down, she washes dishes by hand. She has a small washer and dryer for her clothes. She installed energy efficient light bulbs. And she no longer uses her fireplace, fearing that would allow heat to escape.Rosso served a four-year term in the Maryland House of Delegates. In 1999, she voted against deregulating the electric companies fearing it would lead to rising rates. Now she lives on a pension and works an extra two days a week to pay her bills.
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