Mine topped $300 for the first time since we bought the place...two months ago.

FR:Ouch. I recommend blankets. And jumping jacks. And trips to hot places.

Ours was $265 in a 3-level townhouse. I have switched many of our bulbs to the flourescent. We set our thermostat to 66 during the day while we're away and 70 while we're home. The basement (where I dwell) is consistently well below that, however. I simply bundle up.

I know that our windows and our basement sliding glass door are not all that efficient, and neither is our 25 year-old heat pump. But we don't have the means to make those changes at this point. So, we're basically stuck with what we've got.

When we get our tax refund, the windows and door will certainly be a topic of discussion.

My BG&E bill was $574.00 last month
and $680.00 this month. I have all new windows in my 1 story house w/out a basement and I keep my thermostat b/w 68-72. I just don't understand it.

My BGE bill was $187 in November; $680 in December; and $600 in January. I could not believe that my electric bill (house runs entirely by electric) had increased 3.5 times in one month. I turned off and unplugged everything in my house except the heat, stove, frig, washer and dryer, and looked outside to see how fast the meter was running. The meter was spinning so fast. I can't even describe it. I turned off the heat and the meter's speed decreased to barely moving at all. Now, I cut the heat off at 6 a.m. and turn it back on at 9 p.m. I freeze my behind off, but I have to figure out a way to get the BGE bill down.

I live alone ('cept when my out-of-town lady friend visits) in a small mid-row in
Waverly. All bulbs low engr. Oil heat, forced air. Downstairs usually around 61-62F, upstairs ~63-64F.
So far this winter have used 1/4th tank oil.My Jan. BGE bill (am embarrassed
to reveal!) was $60...$10.00 higher
than normal due to electric heater in
kitchen. My advice to all is to move to a small mid-row in Wonderful Waverly.

Some painful stories here. If the Obama Administration really wants to create/save jobs and tackle energy waste, it should start with free or sliding-scale residential energy audits and subsidized insulation/appliance window and door upgrades. Didn't we do this in the '70s? In the meantime, here's a place to get some energy-saving ideas. http://www.bge.com/portal/site/bge/menuitem.2ae09d16f587fa3033d38710426176a0/

i was also shocked when my january bill came in: $260 for a 2 story charles village rowhouse. december's bill was a manageable $160. i've turned the heat back to 67 when i'm home; 64 when i'm gone and now i bundle up and bring the electric blanket everywhere i go. i have no idea how i'm going to manage to pay the bill in full by the due date!

What happened to our January thaw this year? I've been in town for eight years, and invariably January is balmy - the poor confused daffodils even start coming up (only to get zapped when February turns cold). This coming usually after a seriously frigid December.

Where I grew up in the Middle West the January thaw was also a routine.

So what happened this year?

FR: We had our thaw from Jan. 2-8, when high temperatures reached the 40s and 50s for six days. And we had a brief reprise on Jan. 22-24, with highs again in the 40s and 50s at BWI. But you're right - it wasn't like last year, when the mercury reached 70 degrees for two days in January, or in 2007, when we had three January days in the 60s and 70s. They forecast a more nearly normal winter this year, and they're not too far off.

Mine is $280 and I live alone in a one bedroom apartment. I am disgusted and still cold. I rent, so I don't know what I can do besides the obvious to reduce costs. Help!

$467. We keep it at 64 all day. 3 floor townhome in Pigtown, only about 20 years old. I live in the basement so it's usually 5 degrees colder. It's miserable to pay so much and still be cold.

for those with high energy costs and not sure what the deal is, check out the link that Frank posted. Click on "BGE's home energy calculator" and check that out.

The estimated amount for me was way off per month, but you can still change choices to see how your bill could be affected.

The biggest difference I saw was changing the "Air Leaks" option from Average to "Tight" or "Very Tight". I started out with a monthly cost of $422 (WAY higher than my actual cost), and when I changed "Air Leaks" to "Very Tight" it went down to $261/month.

That translates to a $101 savings over my $265 bill last month. For those with bills of $500/month, you'd save $190!

I will definitely look into replacing windows in my townhouse...

I live in an apartment in Bel Air that's smaller than most 2 car garages. (396 Sq ft) and has electric baseboard heat. I turn it off when I go to work and my bill was $160 for December. I'm afraid to see the next one.

Charles Village 2 story end unit= $437, gas + electric. My temps are 60 during the workday and after 10 pm, 68 at other times. Blown in insulation and new windows have cut costs greatly.

MY January Bill was $560.00 for my BGE. This is crazy for a single family house.

Our bill was a gruesome $404, but I console myself it was during Christmas with outdoor lights and a ton of baking. That said, the house is not yet 7 years old with decent insulation, windows, a high energy furnace, gas heat, and a programmable thermostat set at 68 when we're home and 61-63 when we're asleep or at work. Everyone I've talked to had a bill that rocked them. With this cold weather, the house seems to feel colder than it does at the same setting when it's 10 degrees warmer, but after this bill, we're not turning it up, but adding layers or tossing a throw on! Bundle up!

I moved into a townhome a couple of years ago in the fall. My bill was higher than I thought it should be, but didn't have any history. The next year I started getting routing HVAC service and it got warmer in here for less $$. Service does pay for itself.

FR: Assume you meant "routine" HVAC service. Good idea.

$143 and I live alone in small rancher. Keep temp @ 60-62 degrees starting around 6pm and during day 64 degrees. I keep my den door closed all day--room stays warmer than house and that is where I spend my evenings with books, tv, computer or telephone. Am very comfortable in there in jeans & sweater or nightgown!!!

We have been in our 3 level house for 3 years. We bought all energy efficient appliances when we moved in. After our December bill of $517, and we were cold, we decided on the whole new heat system. Heat system is great, new bill (7 more days on bill and avg. temp.) is $560.00. Now we add the monthly cost for the heat system. At least we are warm for the $$$.

Yes, I do mean ROUTINE HVAC service. I suspect it hadn't had any service for a while. I was told there was a lot to clean.

Umm... $900+ in December. Haven't seen January yet. I'm dreading it mightily. I expect $1100+.

A co worker told me last week hers was $400 and she has less square footage than I do. Needless to say, when my BGE Bill E-mail came, I braced myself: $380. OUCH - my BGE budget is $250 so I am scrooed. I live in a 15 year old 3 story (~2000 sq ft) townhouse in Hunt Valley (not EOG either). In 2007 I replaced all of my windows with energy star ones. I have CFL bulbs in all light fixtures except for a couple that take weird bulbs I can't find in CFL format. I live alone - sometimes have a man friend stay. I freeze all the time - the heat stays on 60 degrees at all times. I am at a loss what I can do to counteract this kind of bill. There is a lot of air leakage around my front door so I just put a down payment on a new entry door/storm door (the goes my tax refund). I also bought one of those Kill-A-Watt devices so see what further electronics I need to unplug or stop using altogether.

Remember the days growing up when "room temperature" was 72 degrees - not any more baby! :-(

You can get free heating degree days for Maryland from www.degreedays.net - hope that helps anyone unsure where to look!

FR: Thanks. That does provide a nice spreadsheet with degree-day data for many Maryland locations. Daily DD reports, as well as monthly and annual totals for BWI are available from MarylandWeather.com: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/
Scroll down to the "Weather Almanac," and click on "Detailed history and climate." Then punch in the date you need.

466 this month, and 475 last month. AND we just had a new 'energy efficient' boiler installed. i'm livid.

I just looked at my Feb. bill on line (Feb. 9th reading). $748 !!! Jan. was $366 and last Dec. was $213. We keep our place at 60 when we're out for the day and 65 when we're home.

FR: Jeez. I need to get more beer in the house before my next bill comes.

IN JULY OF LAST YEAR, I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK! MY BGE BILL WAS 1100.00 COMPAIRED TO JUNES BILL OF 435.00? AND I TOO HAVE NEW WINDOWS,DOORS AND INSULATION INSTALLED . MY MOTHER AND I JUST LIVE HERE. WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THIS HOME 9-YEARS AGO MY BGE BILL WAS ONLY 225.OO, AND THAT WAS IN FEBURARY.NOW 9-YEARS LATER I'M LOOKING AT A BILL THAT IS 900.00 + SO I CALL THEM, AND A VERY NASTY PERSON AT BGE SAID TO ME..YOU USE TO MUCH ELECTRIC. GIVE ME A BREAK THIS KIND OF SPIKING IN UNHEARD OF.SO I WENT ON A BUDGET PLAN,SO MY BILL WOULD BE THE SAME, WHO CAN AFFORD THIS PRICES? ON THE AVERAGE MY BILL WAS 723.00. THAT LASTED FOR 3-MONTHS THEN IT JUMPED TO 900.00, AGAIN I CALLED BGE AND REQUREST FOR SOME ONE TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY MEETER, THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT? STILL THE BGE BILL REMAINS THE SAME

My Bill was $650 last month and $580 this month. I live in a small 3 bedroom rancher. I've tried to contact bge several but have been put on hold for long than 20-30 minutes and have to hang up.

I dont know what is going on with bge but it is utterly ridulous to see how much energy has risen and how much they want. My bill is getting higher and higher each month no matter what we use or how much we use it. One month 200 the next month 300. Each month we get an even higher bill what is going on.

My husband and I live in 700 sq. ft. one bedroom apt. we only have one television, that we rarely watch. Our computer is on the only big electronically driven item that we use everyday We only cut the heat on for about 3hrs a day. And our bill is $200 a month. We have lived in Virginia payed heat and gas and our bill never went over $100. Even in NY our bill will average about $60-$80. BGE high rates makes us very hesitant about purchasing a house in Maryland because there electrical rates are ridiculously high.