November 11th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

A new guide from the Maryland Energy Advocates Coalition is offering consumers advice on lowering energy costs. The guide suggests looking at older appliances, understanding your power bill and taking advantage of free energy checkups through Maryland’s EmPOWER program. Laurel Peltier, chair of the coalition, says consumers are feeling the crunch of energy costs…

   

“Energy was cheap for a long time, and so we didn’t really care. It’s like you got your utility bill, and it was like, you know, this is affordable. And that’s just not the case anymore. And for low-income families, they were struggling before – now they’re under water.”