Electricity

 

Customers of Baltimore Gas & Electric, Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Allegheny Power can choose an alternate electric supplier. The utilities sold off their power plants, and now only own the transmission and distribution wires. Customers who are not supplied from an alternate electric provider receive Standard Offer Service (SOS) from their utility. How SOS is priced depends on a customer's class and size. Large business and industrial customers (those above 600 kW) receive hourly prices from the PJM wholesale market. Type II (medium-sized) business customers (25 kW to 600 kW) receive an SOS price that changes quarterly. All the electricity supply to serve these utility SOS customers is bought every three months. SOS prices for Type I (small commercial) customers (fewer than 25 kW) change every six months. Supply for Type I has been “laddered” to shield customers from exposure to the wholesale market at any one time.

 

Natural Gas

 

The Maryland Public Service Commission allows customers to choose alternative natural gas suppliers. Customers choosing an alternate gas supplier have their gas supply delivered by the local utility. If customers do not shop for an alternate gas supplier receive default supply service from their utility and pay a supply charge (called Gas Commodity Service, Gas Cost, or Purchased Gas Charge). At BGE, the gas supply charge varies monthly while at WGL and Columbia, the supply charge varies quarterly, with a tracker charge.