What to establish before acting
Identify whether the business is served by BGE, Pepco, Delmarva, a cooperative, or another system, then obtain the relevant tariff and current supply agreement. The PSC’s choice resources explain supplier and utility roles, but account-specific eligibility and pricing still require confirmation. Compare complete scope, recurring charges, term, credit, volume, renewal, and exit. Electricity and gas are separate programs, and a current license alone does not make every supplier offer suitable for the account.
Illustrative decision boundary
A hypothetical Maryland company sees fewer residential offers after a rule change and concludes no commercial supply choices remain. That conclusion does not follow. The company should check the current commercial category, utility participation, licensing, and actual available proposals without assuming either universal access or universal closure.
Documents for a useful review
- Utility, class, current supplier, tariffs, and complete agreements.
- Current PSC licensing and category-specific program resources.
- Comparable commercial proposals with fees, exclusions, and notice or exit terms.
Questions & answers
Is the official choice site a guaranteed business quote?
No. It is a PSC resource, and posted consumer offers or notices need to be read for their scope. Obtain terms applicable to the actual commercial account.
Does BGE continue delivery with a supplier?
The utility generally retains network, meter, emergency, and delivery responsibilities under its arrangements. A supply contract does not remove the applicable delivery tariff.
Do residential changes apply identically to businesses?
Not automatically. Current requirements depend on category and circumstances. Verify the applicable framework rather than copy a residential rule into a negotiated commercial comparison.
Can natural gas be included automatically?
No. Identify the gas utility, tariff, units, eligible supply or transport program, and contract separately, including operational duties where relevant.
How should I compare cost?
Use matched dates, quantities, baseline components, fees, pass-throughs, and operational flexibility. Show future baseline assumptions and avoid an unsupported statewide savings percentage.
Sources & scope
Primary references reviewed October 15, 2026. These sources support the stated concepts; actual tariffs, program rules and signed agreements govern the account. Decision examples and operational worksheets are original educational analysis.
- Maryland PSC: Electric choice
Official choice resources; residential market reforms are not universal commercial terms. - EIA: Can customers choose their electricity supplier?
Retail supply choice, delivery utility, and eligibility limitations. - EIA: Natural gas customer choice programs
Gas marketing, distribution, and differences among choice programs. - DOE FEMP: Evaluating your utility rate options
Demand, ratchets, time-of-use rates, coincident peaks, and standby charges.