Stop BGE's Illegal Installation of Gas Regulators

A group of residents and community associations will be filing a legal action early this coming week to ask a judge to block BGE’s unlawful installation of external gas regulators and to prevent BGE from illegally cutting off service as a means of extorting permission from customers who object to the installation.

If you would like to consider joining this lawsuit seeking injunctive relief to stop BGE, please complete the electronic form below by Sunday, June 18, at 5 pm. You will be contacted by a community member or a member of the legal team with more information about immediate next steps.

Residents and community associations have engaged former Maryland deputy attorney general Thiru Vignarajah who has agreed to take on this matter pro bono (that is, free of charge) so there will be no cost to you or your neighbors to join the lawsuit.

Here’s some additional background:

For months, residents have voiced their objections to BGE’s unilateral decision to prioritize profits over major environmental and safety concerns by doubling down on gas infrastructure even as cities and states nationwide, including Maryland, move away from fossil fuels.

Under the false pretext of safety and exploiting the tragedy of the Flower Branch apartment explosion seven years ago, BGE has pivoted 180° from vocally objecting to external gas regulators before the General Assembly to now insisting upon them, realizing they can potentially use the unwanted “infrastructure investments” to add a profit-gouging surcharge to customers’ bills.

Even worse, for purposes of rushing installations ahead of decisions by CHAP and the Public Service Commission, BGE has extorted consent from customers by unlawfully threatening to disconnect and terminate gas service. This violates the Code of Maryland Regulations and the BGE Gas Tariff (the statewide contract between the utility company and its customers), both of which only authorize the company to terminate service if the customer refuses to permit BGE “reasonable access to its equipment.” This may include access for the purpose of reading meters, inspecting the equipment, or making routine repairs. But nothing in Maryland regulations or the governing service agreement allows BGE to terminate service if a customer simply declines to give permission to BGE to install a new regulator system that is not required by law. Those are simply not grounds for termination.

Put simply, “reasonable access to BGE equipment” means just that — access to the company’s existing equipment — NOT the installation of new equipment, particularly when that installation inevitably requires major construction work and permanent damage to the interior and exterior of your home.

Should you require more information, please call us at (410) 456-7552.