The cost of electricity is up 93.2% in the nation’s capital, according to reporting from Inside Climate News. Not only has this expense nearly doubled, DC outpaced all other states in increasing energy costs.

Pepco brought in close to $49 million in revenue from DC residents alone, not including business and commercial customers. While the utility boosted its revenue compared to last year, it also kept over half of all low-income residents (58%) in utility debt while sending out over 12,000 disconnection notices to homes behind on their bills.

Pepco willingly admits to having regular ex-parte communications with PSC technical staff, aimed at benefitting the utility and its shareholders. These are direct conversations outside formal channels with DC staff that influence how Pepco is regulated, which some would consider off-the-books lobbying.

In July, Pepco’s revenue jumped over $20 million. Meanwhile, disconnection notices spiked, and residents still struggled with chronic utility debt.

The OPC files its brief defending its appeal regarding the Pepco rate hike.

The OPC originally filed an appeal in DC court stating that Pepco’s rate hike (and the PSC’s approval) was unreasonable and unjust.

In June, when the heat and humidity pushed the index to the 105° range, Pepco was busy sending nearly 14,000 disconnection notices to struggling residents.

The higher percentage for CY 2024 results in higher revenues for Pepco which skews the numbers and undermines the accuracy of the reconciliation and prudency review.

Linking directly to Pepco, PJM controls and maintains thousands of miles of transmission lines, helps set wholesale energy prices, and handles interconnections to new energy sources such as power plants, large solar farms, and other projects.

In May, Pepco sent out 17,357 disconnection notices to residents while collecting $27,622,077 in a single month. The rising heat hit residents (and their bills hard): a total of 1,545 residences were shut off from power by Pepco.

As temperatures threaten to reach 110°F, Pepco suggests increasing the heat in your house to save money on the electric bills it hiked.

Pepco spent 29 percent less ($53.0 million) than its budget in 2021 and 13 percent less ($41.3 million) in 2022. That’s over $94 million in rates charged that were not needed for Pepco’s stated projects. DC residents paid it anyway.

Our grid operator is accused of inappropriately increasing prices on consumers, forcing households to pay the costs of data centers and other large projects.

A degraded Pepco cable, combined with melting snow and de-icing salt, electrocuted two dogs in NW.

After a cold winter, some residents saw their bills more than double, prompting outcry to social media, community leaders, and more.