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Consumer Advocate, Which Was Key In Effectively Ending Residential Electric Choice, Warns Of Potential Similar Alleged Abuses In Small Commercial Market, Urges PSC Attention
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The Maryland Energy Advocates Coalition (MEAC), a key driver in passing 2024's SB1 in Maryland which contained various provisions which effectively ended viable residential electric choice, has raised concerns that abuses similar to those alleged in the residential market are allegedly occurring in the small commercial market
MEAC cited EIA pricing data, with MEAC comparing small commercial prices paid by shopping customers to both SOS rates, and rates paid by large C&I customers
MEAC alleged, "It appears that some of the same residential discriminatory sales tactics and
overcharges occur in small businesses. Per EIA861 data, if you sort for average usage
per account, 27 suppliers charged their small business accounts between 2% to 85%
more than commercial SOS rates."
MEAC's data as excerpted in its comments to the Maryland PSC appears to be statewide and not by service area. MEAC's data lists an, "Md. Statewide Regulated Avg Rate", for SOS, against which retail supplier average rates are compared
MEAC alleged, "When comparing Commercial to residential to small business EIA results, in
several instances, you can see that same retail energy supplier charged much lower
rates to larger Commercial accounts, yet, they charged significantly higher rates to both
smaller commercial accounts and residential accounts."
MEAC said, "Analyzing EIA data, in 2024, on average, about 6,500 small businesses with
usage that ranged from 8,071 to 54,353 were charged 14.2 cents / kWh as compared to
SOS at 11.3. The average Account paid $932 in 2025 than SOS. While Large
commercial accounts saved $650,000,000 compared to SOS, a portion of small
business saved about $6 million, a portion, about 6,500 overpaid by $6,000,000.
In the data cited by MEAC, 10 retail suppliers were listed as providing aggregate savings to small businesses versus the listed SOS statewide average in 2024, with savings ranging from 29% to 1%.
In the data cited by MEAC, 27 retail suppliers were listed as charging, in aggregate, more than the listed SOS statewide average in 2024, with the additional cost ranging from 2% to 85%. Four suppliers were listed in the MEAC data as charging more than 50% above the SOS statewide average
MEAC said that the PSC should require the reporting of retail supplier prices charged to small business customers, "to determine
the [extent] of the issue."
MEAC's comments were filed in response to a PSC request for comments concerning the public release of the currently required residential retail supplier price reporting
PC67, PC 67
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November 14, 2025
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Copyright 2025 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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