Author: BGE Times

BGE Reminds Homeowners And Contractors About The Importance Of Calling 811

April is National Safe Digging Month, and BGE is joining Miss Utility 811– the one-call notification center for Maryland – to remind homeowners and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to prevent damage to critical utility services and keep communities safe.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic which has homeowners spending more time than ever at home potentially engaged in home improvement activities requiring digging, it is imperative that underground utilities be marked before any digging takes place. Calling 811 or placing an online request before digging is free of charge and will help residents avoid accidentally damaging buried utility lines. Projects such as gardening and landscaping, installing a mailbox, deck or fence can result in serious injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs when gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines are damaged.

More than 60 percent of BGE’s electric lines, approximately 17,000 circuit miles, are located underground and BGE manages more than 7,000 miles of buried natural gas lines in its region, many of which may cross through residential properties. Properly locating these lines is essential to safely completing a digging job.

Residents and businesses should take the following steps when planning a digging project this spring:

Always call 811 a few days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.

Plan ahead. Call several days ahead for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.

Confirm that all lines have been marked.

Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.

If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has called 811. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.

Visit call811.com for more information.

When calling 811 at least three business days prior to digging, customers and contractors are connected to Maryland One Call that will take the caller’s information and communicate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.

To promote safety around electric infrastructure in the communities it serves, BGE also reminds residents and businesses that customer-owned structures are not permitted within BGE’s easements or near overhead equipment. Customers must contact their local municipality to obtain the necessary permits prior to any construction near company-owned transmission or distribution lines.

For information on digging safely, including how to get lines marked and what to do after lines are marked visit www.bge.com/811, or contact the BGE Damage Prevention team at 410.470.6698 to arrange for free damage prevention training. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and impact our community, we want to reaffirm with you our commitment to the safety and well-being of our customers, employees, and contractors. Safety is our top priority. We have implemented important procedures to prioritize the health of our community. All BGE employees and contractors have been instructed to follow health and safety best practices consistent with CDC guidelines including but not limited to practicing safe social distancing.

BGE joins the Exelon family of companies, the other 1,700 Common Ground Alliance members, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and governors across the country in marking April as National Safe Digging Month to bring extra attention to the issue of underground utility line safety and reduce the risk of unnecessary infrastructure damage.

BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation’s first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility. The company’s approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.3 million electric customers and more than 680,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. In the J.D. Power 2017, 2018, and 2019 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Studies SM BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Electric Service in the East among Large Utilities. In the J.D. Power 2018 and 2019 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Studies SM BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Natural Gas Service among utilities in the East Region. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider. Connect with BGE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (or “BGE”) received the highest score in the East Region of the 2019 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study and the East Large Segment of the 2019 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study of gas and electric utility customer satisfaction among business customers. Visit jdpower.com/awards.

BGE Warns Customers About Utility Scammers During COVID-19

With Maryland and the world experiencing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, BGE is reminding customers to always be on alert for potential scams targeting utility customers. Scams occur throughout the year, but the company has seen an increase in scam reports over the past week with scammers attempting to use this health crisis to trick utility customers. The company has received reports that scammers are offering cash or credit incentives from BGE in order to obtain a customer’s personal or financial information.

It is important to remind customers again of important energy assistance that is available to help meet their energy needs. BGE has many programs in place to help customers through temporary or extended financial hardship. Additionally, BGE is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges at least until May 1 and will be working with customers on a case-by-case basis to establish payment arrangements and identify energy assistance options. BGE is also working with residents whose service was disconnected prior to the March 13 service disconnection moratorium to have service restored. Those customers should contact the company at 800-685-0123. As part of the reconnection process, BGE Customer Care representatives will work with residents to help identify assistance programs that can supplement bill payment and can help ensure service remains on after this pandemic.

“It is unfortunate that scammers are using this time of health and financial uncertainty to attempt to deceive our customers,” said Tamla Olivier, senior vice president and chief customer officer for BGE. “These scammers are constantly changing their tactics and it’s important that our customers stay vigilant to avoid becoming victims.”

In some cases, the recorded message that customers hear when calling a legitimate company has been duplicated by scammers, so when customers call the number provided by the scammer, it sounds like an actual business. Some scammers also use caller ID “spoofing” to replicate a utility’s phone number.

Don’t Get Scammed: Customers can avoid being scammed by taking a few precautions:

Never provide your social security number or personal information to anyone initiating contact with you claiming to be a utility representative or requesting you to send money to another person or entity other than your local utility providers.

Always ask to see a company photo ID before allowing any utility worker into your home or business.

Do not give payment in any form- cash, check, or credit- to anyone coming to your door.

How to protect yourself

Utility representatives will never ask or require a customer with a past due balance to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection. Additionally, all service disconnections have been suspended through at least May 1, so any disconnection notices are likely scams.

Customers can make payments online, by phone, automatic bank withdrawal, mail or in person.

While BGE is currently suspending service disconnections, under normal circumstances customers with a past due balance will receive multiple shut off notifications – never a single notification one hour before disconnection.

If a customer ever questions the legitimacy of the call, hang up and call BGE at 800-685-0123.

BGE already has your account information and past bills. If you are authorizing a legitimate third- party energy supplier to switch your energy supply, they will need you to disclose your electric choice ID or natural gas choice ID at the time you are authorizing to be switched to their service. If you do not intend to switch your energy supplier, do not provide your choice ID number(s) or a copy of your bill to anyone.

Any customer who believes he or she has been a target of a scam is urged to contact their local police and call BGE immediately at 800-685-0123 to report the situation.

BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation’s first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility. The company’s approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.3 million electric customers and more than 680,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. In the J.D. Power 2017, 2018, and 2019 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Studies SM BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Electric Service in the East among Large Utilities. In the J.D. Power 2018 and 2019 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Studies SM BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Natural Gas Service among utilities in the East Region. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider. Connect with BGE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (or “BGE”) received the highest score in the East Region of the 2019 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study and the East Large Segment of the 2019 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study of gas and electric utility customer satisfaction among business customers. Visit jdpower.com/awards.