Pepco bills are spiking, sometimes doubling, according to people across social media

Once again, the combination of Pepco’s rate increase and the cold weather hit DC residents hard. Multiple posts across the Washington DC subreddit are pointing to massive increases to Pepco bills, sometimes doubling month-over-month. Residents are shocked with the increase, claiming their energy use has hardly changed, with one post citing a $900 increase in just one month.

Last year, something similar happened: spiking Pepco bills led to widespread outrage, prompting Pepco to play defense with PR. The utility paused disconnections for customers behind on their bills and temporarily suspended late fees. While Pepco claimed this was to provide relief to customers, it also refused to scale back any of the years-long rate increases it received after lobbying regulators at the Public Service Commission.

Pepco’s most recent rate hike, which raised delivery fees in both 2025 and 2026, is currently being challenged in the DC Court of Appeals. The Office of the People’s Counsel, DC’s utility watchdog, alleged approval of the rate hike lacked evidence and proper financial review.