Take it all, BGE

When I was a poor reporter in West Virginia, I joked about having a bake sale to raise money so I could take a vacation to the beach. While the tip jar I put on my desk did net a few dollars for a trip, I never did sell any baked goods. However, I now am considering a sale to pay the BGE bill. If only everyone else in the neighborhood wasn't in the same situation, I might get some sympathy and a few dollars.
We have a home office, where in the winter we sometimes wear fleece jackets because we keep the heat so low when the kids are at school. I drive everyone crazy unplugging computers, the microwave, TVs, to stop the energy drain from appliances that never really turn "off". So imagine my surprise when I saw the $425 BGE bill for one month. Not two. We didn't forget to pay the bill or anything. One month -- where we froze!
Now Constellation Energy is threatening to sue Maryland to pay for "lost revenue" and has warned about more increases to pay for the Calvert Cliffs energy plant expansion. What are they doing with the money they have now? What happened to the money they were already supposed to be putting back into energy plant expansion?
I think for February I'm going to try something new. I'm just going to burn my $425. If I use one dollar bills, I could at least be warm for a little while. And at least BGE wouldn't get it to create more TV ads to tell me how to save energy and how they're the only company that "tells you how to use less of what we sell."

BGE Prices Expected to Rise

Here's the news release from BGE about the outlook for winter. Notice the optimistic headline with the more truthful subhead:

Baltimore Gas and Electric Residential Customers Who Purchase Natural Gas from BGE Can Expect Prices to be About the Same as Last Winter
BGE Estimates 5 Percent Increase in Total Gas Bill Assuming a Return to Normal Winter Temperatures
BALTIMORE, Oct. 29, 2007 – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a subsidiary of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG), today announced that its residential customers who purchase natural gas from BGE can anticipate a 5 percent increase from last winter in the gas portion of their total bill during the upcoming winter heating season, which begins Nov. 1, 2007 and runs through March 31, 2008. Assuming a normal winter, a typical residential heating customer can expect to pay approximately $690 during the heating season, compared to $659 for the same period a year ago. This is primarily due to a projected increase in natural gas use given last year's warmer than normal winter temperatures.
“We estimate the price for natural gas will be 92 cents per thermal unit, the same as last winter,” said Mark Case, senior vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs for BGE. “BGE customers are benefiting from relatively stable natural gas costs because of the mild hurricane season, an increase in U.S. natural gas drilling, and the filling of natural gas storage fields ahead of schedule. Additionally, BGE remains committed to increasing awareness about energy efficiency and helping our customers lower their energy bills through BGE's Smart Energy Savers, ProgramsSM.”
However, winter cold snaps and other events could also cause natural gas prices to increase. BGE plans for this type of volatility, however, and approximately half of the winter supply has been secured at a known price, which would help to moderate any increases required during the upcoming heating season.

The remainder of the release talks about how BGE cares about people who can't pay their bills and some energy-saving tips. You know, like get a pellet stove. Just kidding.