Maryland Winter Utility Shutoff Protection Takes Effect; Only 26% of Eligible Customers Enrolled Last Year
On November 1, Maryland's winter utility shutoff protection for low-income utility customers took effect, running through March 31, 2027. Under the Utility Service Protection Program, participating customers pay a fixed monthly amount based on their past year's usage minus home energy assistance benefits, spreading costs evenly to avoid winter shutoffs for nonpayment.
According to the Maryland Public Service Commission's annual report released September 23, 25,057 people enrolled in the program last heating season, while 97,640 customers were certified for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program — an enrollment rate of only 26%, with another 72,583 eligible customers not enrolled. At Baltimore Gas and Electric alone, energy-assistance-certified customers rose from 12,018 to 57,579, while enrollment in its shutoff protection program grew only from 11,657 to 13,192.
The state reminded residents that applying for shutoff protection requires first applying for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program, which can be done online at benefits.maryland.gov, at a local home energy office, or by calling 1-800-332-6347.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 马里兰州巴尔的摩市景（资料图）。dokaspar摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / Baltimore, Maryland (file photo). Photo by dokaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
