Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown Light Department | 7.02 | 7.77 | 15,099 | Municipal | -$1,055 |
| Easton Utilities Comm | 11.86 | 13.06 | 8,590 | Municipal | -$484 |
| The Potomac Edison Company | 11.72 | 13.83 | 240,570 | Investor-owned | -$401 |
| Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc | 14.13 | 14.84 | 158,375 | Co-op | -$292 |
| Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc | 17.03 | 16.45 | 50,697 | Co-op | -$117 |
| Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) | 16.47 | 17.91 | 1,025,745 | Investor-owned | +$40 |
| Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) | 18.16 | 20.08 | 485,483 | Investor-owned | +$274 |
| Delmarva Power | 18.40 | 20.22 | 172,008 | Investor-owned | +$290 |
Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential sales from each utility's federal EIA-861 filing (bundled service — supply + delivery + riders, not a quoted tariff rate). State average = 17.54¢/kWh, volume-weighted across these utilities (2024). Your distribution utility is fixed by address; these gaps measure what households in different territories actually paid. A further 61 competitive suppliers / solar lessors report energy-only or behind-the-meter sales in Maryland; their prices cover only part of the bill and are not comparable to the all-in figures above.
Can you choose your electric company in Maryland?
Electric supply choice: yes · Gas supply choice: yes
Electric and gas choice (BGE, Pepco, Delmarva, Potomac Edison, Washington Gas).
How to switch suppliers in Maryland (3 steps)
- Find the price to compare (default supply rate) on your utility bill — you only save when an offer beats it for the same period.
- Compare licensed supplier offers on the state's official shopping site: psc.state.md.us/electricchoice. Check term, early-exit fees, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
- Sign up with the supplier — they handle the switch. Your utility still delivers the power, owns the wires, and responds to outages; only the supply line of the bill changes.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Maryland?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $1.539 /therm | Jan 2026 | 15.39 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) | $5.276 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 38.09 |
| Propane | $3.741 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 40.91 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 20.08 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 58.85 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest heating fuel in Maryland at $15.39/MMBTU — heating oil costs 2.5× as much per BTU. Conversions: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU; 1 therm = 100,000 BTU; heating oil 138,500 BTU/gal; propane 91,452 BTU/gal. Site-energy prices — appliance efficiency changes delivered-heat cost: a 95% AFUE gas furnace delivers heat near the gas figure, while a heat pump at seasonal COP 2.5–3 cuts the effective electric figure by 60–70%.
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
Maryland's average residential price went from 18.30¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 20.08¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 10% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 22.30¢ in Oct '25.
| Month | Feb '25 | Mar '25 | Apr '25 | May '25 | Jun '25 | Jul '25 | Aug '25 | Sep '25 | Oct '25 | Nov '25 | Dec '25 | Jan '26 | Feb '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¢/kWh | 18.30 | 18.94 | 19.05 | 19.00 | 19.29 | 18.83 | 19.83 | 21.05 | 22.30 | 21.34 | 19.57 | 20.61 | 20.08 |
Head-to-head utility comparisons in Maryland
- Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) vs Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) — who's cheaper?
- Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) vs The Potomac Edison Company — who's cheaper?
- Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) vs Delmarva Power — who's cheaper?
- Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) vs Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc — who's cheaper?
- Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) vs The Potomac Edison Company — who's cheaper?
- Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) vs Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc — who's cheaper?
- Delmarva Power vs Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc — who's cheaper?
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in Maryland?
- The Potomac Edison Company, at an average 13.8 cents per kWh for 2024 among Maryland utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, Delmarva Power, averaged 20.2 cents — a difference of about $691 per year at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I choose my electric company in Maryland?
- You cannot choose the utility that delivers power — that is set by your address. Maryland does allow residential supply choice: you may buy the supply portion from a licensed competitive supplier if it beats your utility's price to compare. The official shopping site is psc.state.md.us/electricchoice.
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Maryland?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $15.39 (Jan 2026) versus $58.85 for electric resistance heat, $38.09 for heating oil. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $20-24 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in Maryland?
- At Maryland's February 2026 average price of 20.08 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $181 per month ($2169 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.