BALTIMORE — It's certainly been a hot Maryland summer so far, and Baltimore City just announced another "Code Red" heat alert for July 14-17.
For many residents, that can mean big utility bills as air conditioners struggle to keep up with the heat wave.
Thanks to a ramped-up state program, BGE customers can now take advantage of a tune-up of their heating and air-conditioning system for no additional cost.
Everyone who uses BGE is eligible to schedule the tune-up, which they're technically already helping pay for.
The tune-up service - along with the perhaps better-known Quick Home Energy Check-up - is sponsored by the EmPOWER Maryland program, which is funded by a charge on your energy bill.
The tune-up will include a system performance check, coil inspection, indoor and outdoor coil cleaning (if accessible), electrical inspection, refrigerant level inspection, and condensate drain cleaning (if accessible).
The inspections are done by a certified contractor from Scope Service, Complete Home Solutions, A-C Air Care or Clarksville Heating and Air. BGE notes that anyone who's not on this list and claims to be working on behalf of BGE is probably trying to scam you.
Maryland has done an energy efficiency tune-up since 2019, but a new EmPOWER Maryland plan approved by the General Assembly lays out concrete goals for energy efficiency.
The new plan will put almost $355 million toward energy-related retrofits and upgrades, in about 60,000 households, from 2024 to 2026.
