BGE Offers Free Home Energy Check-Ups to Customers

Baltimore Gas and Electric customers looking for ways to cut their energy use may be able to get some help without paying extra. BGE is offering Quick Home Energy Check-ups to residential customers through the EmPOWER Maryland program. WBAL-TV reporter Breana Ross highlighted the program in exclusive reporting this week, following a local family as a technician evaluated their home and identified ways they could improve its energy efficiency. During the roughly hour-long appointment, a BGE-authorized contractor walks through the home and examines areas including insulation, air leakage, heating and cooling systems, windows, doors, lighting, appliances and water-heating equipment. Customers then receive a personalized report with recommendations for reducing their energy use. The visit can also come with upgrades. Depending on the home and eligibility, contractors may install LED light bulbs, efficient-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, door sweeps, weatherstripping, water-heater pipe insulation and even certain smart thermostats at no additional cost. In WBAL-TB 11's report, EZ Green building analyst Mark Wilson said relatively small changes around a home could potentially produce 15 to 20 percent in energy savings. There is one important distinction: while BGE markets the check-up as free or 'at no additional cost,' the broader EmPOWER Maryland program is funded through a charge already included on customers' energy bills. BGE says residential customers are generally eligible for one Quick Home Energy Check-up at the same address once every five years. Customers who move to a new address can become eligible for another visit. The program comes as energy affordability remains a major concern for Maryland households, giving customers another tool to potentially trim energy use and keep more money in their pockets. This article was produced with the assistance of AI. SEE ALSO Diva's Daily Dirt: Rihanna Is Now Officially A Billionaire