Maryland's community solar program is a simple way to pay less on your BGE bill. Nothing gets installed. Nothing changes at home. You don't get a second bill, you don't switch away from BGE, and once you're signed up there's nothing left for you to do. You just pay less.
Securely send my BGE billSend one recent bill and we take it from there.
Good news: you don't need to buy solar panels, own a home, or change the way electricity reaches you.
When you enroll, you're matched with a community solar farm that has open capacity in BGE's service area. That farm sends clean solar energy to the shared power grid. Your share of it creates credits that lower your electric bill, and the savings show up on the BGE bill you already get.
That's the entire model. There's no fine print hiding a bigger version of it.
No lengthy forms. No credit pull. No phone interview. No homework for you.
Send us a recent copy of your BGE bill through our secure upload. That's the only thing we need from you to get started.
We use your bill for one purpose: to see whether you qualify and to size your subscription. We don't sell your bill or your contact information. We don't use them for any marketing other than this program. We don't share them with anyone except for the purpose of evaluating and managing your subscription. That's it.
We review your usage, check which solar farms have open capacity for your account, confirm your eligibility, and calculate exactly what you'll save. You don't do anything while we work.
We show you your exact discount, when savings begin, and how to cancel. You sign a short agreement and initial the Maryland-required Contract Summary Disclosure. Maryland requires both so you have every term in writing before you commit. We fill them in for you. Two minutes.
Your credits, your discounted charge, and your net savings all appear on the same BGE bill you already receive. No separate solar company bill, no second payment, no new autopay to set up.
There isn't a catch. But you should still know exactly what you're agreeing to, so here's the whole thing, including the question most people are too polite to ask.
Community solar is established by Maryland law and regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission. Maryland created it so more residents, including renters and people whose homes aren't suitable for rooftop panels, can share in the benefits of solar generation. The program has been operating since 2015 and became permanent in 2023.
LowerMyElectricBill.org is not BGE and is not a government agency. Your participation is voluntary. Before enrolling, you'll receive the savings rate, term length, cancellation terms, and a Maryland-required Contract Summary Disclosure in writing.
No smoke. No mirrors. No pretending to be your utility. Just straightforward information, real contract terms, and a chance to save.
Maryland built this program so the households that need savings most can get the most savings. If your household is enrolled in certain assistance programs, you may qualify for a larger discount than the standard rate.
You may qualify if your household is enrolled in, or eligible for, any of these programs: the Maryland Energy Assistance Program, SNAP (food stamps/EBT), Medicaid, Head Start, free and reduced-price school meals, LIHEAP, EmPOWER Maryland's low- or moderate-income programs, telephone Lifeline service, or the Fuel Fund of Maryland. If any of those sound like you, just say so when you send your bill and we'll check. There's no penalty for asking and no penalty if the answer is no. You'd simply be enrolled at the standard rate, which is still a discount.
What we'd need. Usually one document showing you're enrolled in or eligible for a qualifying program. Not a tax return, not pay stubs, not a financial interview. We tell you exactly which document before you send anything. We use it only to enroll you and to maintain your eligibility in the program. We never sell it to other companies, and we never use it for marketing.
Yes. There's no enrollment fee and no upfront equipment cost. It isn't free electricity: you receive solar credits and pay less than their value, and that difference is your savings. We show you every charge and term before you sign.
The solar farm operator pays us a fee when a customer enrolls. You're never charged for our help, and our fee doesn't come out of your savings.
We use it to see whether you qualify and to size your subscription. We don't sell your bill or your contact information, we don't use them for any marketing other than this program, and we don't share them with anyone except for the purpose of evaluating and managing your subscription.
Nope. Flip a switch and the lights come on just as they always have. BGE continues delivering your electricity, sending your single monthly bill, and handling outages.
No. There's no credit pull or credit check to determine your eligibility.
No equipment is installed on your property. Because nothing is attached to the building, renters may be eligible without a rooftop installation. Customers remain responsible for complying with their lease and account requirements.
Your plan provides [X%] savings on the value of the solar credits allocated to your account. That doesn't mean [X%] off every line of your total BGE bill, and we'll never tell you it does. We show you the exact calculation before you enroll.
[TO CONFIRM: term length, whether it renews automatically, and the notice given before renewal.] Your exact term is stated in your agreement and in the Contract Summary Disclosure, and we walk you through it before you sign.
Yes. You may cancel without a cancellation fee. The exact cancellation process, effective date, and treatment of any remaining credits are stated in your agreement.
If you move to another address that BGE serves, Maryland law lets you keep your subscription at your new home, and it can't be canceled because you moved. Just let us know your new address. If you move outside BGE's service area, your subscription can't come with you, and your agreement explains how it ends.
Credits don't necessarily appear immediately. Timing depends on project status, available capacity, enrollment processing, solar production, and utility billing cycles. Your estimated start date is [TIMING], and we tell you that date before you sign rather than after.
Here's the one part of this that isn't leisurely.
A solar farm can only serve so many customers. Its output gets divided among its subscribers, and when a farm is fully subscribed, it stops taking new ones. Maryland also reserves a portion of each project for income-qualified households. New farms do get built, but there's often a wait in between.
So this isn't a program you can sit on indefinitely and expect the same spot to be waiting. When a farm serving your area has room, that's the moment to take it.
The good news is that finding out costs you nothing. Send us a recent BGE bill and we'll tell you what's actually open for your account right now. No obligation, no credit check, and no pressure if you decide it isn't for you.
Send us a recent BGE bill through our secure upload. We review it, confirm your eligibility, and show you your exact numbers. No lengthy forms, no credit check, and no obligation to enroll.