Extreme Cold Drives Higher Energy Use for BGE Customers

Following one of the coldest starts to winter the region has experienced in years, BGE customers across central Maryland used significantly more energy as prolonged extreme cold drove higher heating demand. December 2025 and January 2026 ranked among the coldest winter months of the past decade, according to Heating Degree Day (HDD) data, a key indicator of heating demand. Despite the extreme weather and elevated demand, BGE's systems continued to perform reliably throughout the extended cold snap.

Together, these back-to-back months of extreme cold made this one of the harshest winters customers have experienced in recent memory.

December 2025: Coldest December in a Decade

December 2025 was the coldest December in the past 10 years for central Maryland, elevating the demand for heating among BGE customers.

• December 2025 was 18.9% colder than the 10-year December average.
• December 2025 was 16.8% colder than December 2024.

January 2026: Second Coldest January in a Decade

January 2026 continued the trend of elevated heating demand across the BGE service area. It was the second coldest January in the past decade in central Maryland, with January 2025 being the coldest.

• January 2026 was 14.5% colder than the 10-year January average.
• January 2026 was slightly milder than January 2025, at only 0.3% warmer.

In late January, Baltimore began to experience the most significant cold stretch in over 15 years with a major, 10-day streak of sub-freezing temperatures. During the first weekend of extreme cold, the BGE gas system was delivering - and at some points, exceeding - the energy equivalent of the highest ever demand on our electric system, every hour for nearly a 48-hour period.

What This Means for Customer Bills

When cold temperatures persist, heating systems must work harder, even if thermostat settings remain unchanged, which can increase overall energy use for both gas heating and electric heating customers. Customers with gas heat may also see impacts on their electric bills due to the electrical components that support HVAC systems and circulate warm air. Winter is typically when gas heating customers use far more gas than any other time during the year, and their proportionately high usage is reflected in energy bills.

The combination of record-level cold in December and January helps explain higher winter energy use and how extreme weather conditions influence customer bills.

"Customers are feeling real affordability pressures, and higher winter bills only add to that burden. Extreme cold drives significantly higher energy use, which directly increases bills, and this recent weather came at a time when energy supplies are tight and demand is high," said Tamla Olivier, president and CEO of BGE. "Affordability matters, especially during severe weather, and we're focused on everything within our control to support our customers."

Tools, Tips and Assistance to Help Customers Manage Energy Costs

Customers can visit bge.com/heretohelp for more ways to manage their bill, use energy more efficiently, or access energy assistance. This includes:

• BGE's self-service Assistance Finder, which provides simple and personalized recommendations.

• Payment arrangements and due-date extensions. For extenuating circumstances needing payment arrangements beyond 12 months, please call BGE at 800-685-0123. Budget billing information and online self-serve sign-up for customers who prefer a predictable monthly bill that spreads energy costs throughout the year.

• Legislative Energy Relief Refund :The Maryland General Assembly, through the Next Generation Energy Act, established the Legislative Energy Relief Refund that the state utilities, including BGE, are distributing to eligible customers. The second of two credits began to appear on energy bills in February.

Year-Round Investments Support Reliable Service

BGE continues to modernize and strengthen the local electric grid through targeted upgrades to substations and distribution equipment, the installation of smart devices that help reroute power automatically, and enhanced digital tools that improve outage detection and response. BGE operates the oldest gas system in the country, and our ongoing proactive replacement of hundreds of miles of cast iron and bare steel gas pipes-some installed in the 1800s-will ensure safe and reliable service for customers long into the future as natural gas remains essential to statewide energy security.

BGE's multi-year energy infrastructure investment plan was designed to continue making improvements that enhance the reliability, safety, and resiliency of the natural gas and electric systems. These investments are designed to improve reliability during severe weather with both system performance and customer affordability in mind.