AARP Maryland briefed about 1,800 Pepco and Delmarva customers in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Maryland’s Eastern Shore counties on the unfair rate hike requests from Pepco and Delmarva during town halls held April 22, 23 and 26, 2012.

See also: Affordable Utilities Now

“What Pepco and Delmarva are asking from consumers is ridiculous,” said AARP Maryland Associate State Director of Advocacy Tammy Bresnahan.

In December 2011, Pepco and Delmarva filed for rate increases with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC). AARP formally intervened in these rate cases in January 2012 on behalf of the 530,000 customers Pepco serves in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and the 200,000 customers Delmarva serves in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties.

Pepco is requesting a $67.6 million increase. Delmarva is asking for a $24.3 million increase. Both claim to need the rate hike to cover expenses for service reliability improvements and customer care programs.

“It’s absurd: why should you pay Pepco and Delmarva more of your hard earned money for what you should be receiving in the first place,” said Bresnahan?

Pepco was fined a record-setting $1 million in December 2011 for failure to provide reliable service. Now the utility is looking for higher rates while its customers are still looking for better service.

Delmarva customers, like others across the state, are facing higher than ever utility bills and the utility wants higher profits.
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