Maryland renter gets $450 electric bill, suspects they may be paying for neighbors too

A Maryland renter facing a roughly $450 winter electric bill began questioning whether they were paying for more than their own power after learning that the people moving out next door had electricity included by the landlord.

Here's what to know

The question brought the tenant to Reddit's r/Renters community: Could the meter on their account also be registering the neighboring apartment's electricity? They explained that their apartment was a converted garage attached to a house.

In a follow-up, the renter added, "The unit has been empty since early October."

Several commenters urged the renter to contact BGE to ask whether the meter was recording electricity used by both apartments.

More background

While a meter mix-up was one possibility, some commenters suggested checking billing records for seasonal air conditioning use.

One commenter said their own bill dropped from about $250 to $150 after summer ended. Another said their October bill was half of September's and recommended requesting historical bills for the renter's apartment.

A landlord and electrician might need to resolve mixed wiring, one commenter suggested, with code enforcement becoming an option if repairs stalled. In that situation, fixtures or appliances in separate homes could share a breaker, and the meter would record their electricity use.

Another commenter said getting help proved difficult, and months passed while they covered the cost of someone else's air conditioning.

"In the end the magic phrase was to ask for them to review for a meter mix-up. One of the employees finally took pity on my desperate calls and once they put that request on it took three days and everything was backdated," they explained.

What can be done?

The renter shared plans to contact the utility: "The apartment is currently empty. I'm going to call BGE and ask if they can come out and take a look to see if something is switched."

A self-described former utility bill analyst said customers might be asked to provide a current reading and identify their meter during a utility review.

Another commenter suggested getting confirmation from BGE that there were separate accounts for the two apartments. They said the original poster should ask the former neighbors for their old lease to document the landlord's electricity arrangement.

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