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BGE Has Programs To Help In Cold Weather

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Record low temperatures this winter is forcing BGE to send customers a dire warning: don't wait to settle your energy bill. The company says it has several programs to help keep your lights and heat on.

Gigi Barnett has more.

"It's cold in here," said Lachell Barber.

It's a cry Barber has had for the last four months. It's 45 degrees in her west Baltimore rowhome. She's in a deep freeze and has been since BGE shut off the electricity back in October.

"It feels like it snowed in this house," Barber said.

Her bill was nearly $2,000 and she couldn't pay. Without the heat, she was forced to live in a shelter with her eight-year-old daughter.

"My daughter and I are just ready to come home," she said.

But BGE says this winter, customers may see higher bills even if they're watching the thermostat. Blame it on the record-low temperatures in February alone.

"Even if they're keeping their thermostats set at a set temperature, those heating systems need to work harder and longer to maintain that set temperature, meaning their energy usage is higher and their bills will be higher, as well," said Rachael Lighty, BGE Spokeswoman.

The energy company says it has a slew of programs that help customers stay warm this winter but Lighty says customers need to reach out early if they fall behind.

"Financial hardships happen to everybody and so the important thing is that they're communicating with BGE," Lighty said.

For Barber, she got help from Catholic Charities and the Fuel Fund of Maryland, two nonprofits that paid her bill.

"I was about to cry. My daughter, she was like, `Ma, we can go home?' I was like, `Yes, we can go. We can go home,'" she said.

BGE says one easy way to monitor your energy usage this winter is to sign up for their text or email alerts to tell you when the thermostat is working overtime.

For a list of BGE payment options and tips to keep your winter bill down, click here.

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