Know Your Rights

Understand your rights when choosing your natural gas supplier.

  • You have the right to choose a retail natural gas supplier or to keep all services with your utility.
  • You have the right to understand your gas supply choices.  This website is designed to educate you about your options.
  • You have the right to change suppliers as long as your name appears on the bill.
  • You have the right to ensure that any supplier you choose is licensed with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC).
  • You have the right to understand your bill and how it relates to the service you receive.
  • You have a right to file a complaint with the PSC’s Consumer Affairs Division (online link) if you have an unresolved dispute with a retail natural gas supplier or utility.
  • You have a right to request a copy of the privacy policy of the retail natural gas supplier.
  • You have the right not to be switched to a retail supplier without your consent.
  • You have a right to have the retail gas suppliers’ MD PSC license numbers on the marketing materials you receive from retail gas suppliers.
  • You have a right to have a retail natural gas supplier contract that contains all material terms and conditions. The supplier must also give you a contract summary, on this form approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
  • You have a right to receive notice from your retail natural gas supplier 30 days in advance of the expiration date of your existing contract.
  • You have the right to cancel a door-to-door solicitation contract within 3 business days of completing the transaction.

Who to Contact

Your gas utility is responsible for safe and reliable delivery of gas, no matter who is supplying it.  Contact your utility for issues related to the delivery of gas, including service quality issues and emergencies.  You should also contact the utility for issues related to meter reading or for billing questions not related to the retail natural gas  supplier charges portion of the bill.

BGE
General Inquiries: (800) 685-0123
Gas Odors/Gas Emergencies: 1 (877) 778-7798

Washington Gas
Gas Emergency:  (844) WASHGAS (927-4427)
Automated Self-Service Line: (703) 750-7944

If you have questions about the retail gas supplier charges on your bill, contact your retail gas supplier directly.

Your gas service can be terminated for non-payment of both your utility and retail gas supplier charges. If you receive a termination notice from your utility, you should contact your utility.

If you are unable to resolve a dispute with your utility or your retail natural gas supplier directly, you may contact the PSC’s Consumer Affairs Division (CAD) online or in writing to:

Maryland Public Service Commission
Consumer Affairs Division
William Donald Schaefer Tower
6 St. Paul Street, 15
th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202

You can also contact the Office of People’s Counsel, an independent state agency that represents the interests of Maryland’s residential utility customers before the PSC. You can call OPC at (800) 207-4055.