Energy company cuts power for Baltimore church as pastor insists $30K bill is incorrect
In the last 34 years that he has operated his 800-member Friendship Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, the Rev. Alvin Gwynn Sr. says his average monthly energy bill has hovered around “maybe $1,200.”
About two months ago, however, Gwynn claimed in an interview with The Christian Post that his bills from Baltimore Gas and Electric skyrocketed.
The latest bill from the company reviewed by CP shows that Friendship Baptist Church had an outstanding payment to BGE of $30,478.41 that was due on Easter Monday, April 10. Gwynn said he is refusing to pay the amount “on principle” because there is no way his church used that much electricity, forcing BGE to cut the power to the church on the day the bill was due.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“I mean, think about this. We are only open two days a week. We have two services on Sunday from 7 o'clock, ending around 1:30 p.m. Right? We have one Bible study on Thursday afternoon, which starts around 10 a.m. and ends around 1 o'clock,” he said questioning the bills he has been getting from the power company.
He admits that since the start of the pandemic, he has always carried a balance on the church’s electric bill. He maintains, however, that he generally would make the payments within a week or so. He alleges that BGE has not been accurately reflecting the church’s payments on his bill and has been using smart meters to inflate the actual energy use at his church.
A press statement issued by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Baltimore, where Gwynn serves as president, also accused BGE of sending inflated estimated bills to customers.
“It has been brought to IMA’s attention that the Baltimore, Gas and Electric Company has been unfair if not deceptive in its billing practices. Many have complained that the reading of their gas meters and electric meters are being estimated rather than actual reading. As a result, citizens across the state of Maryland have received bills that were sometimes double the amount of their normal payments,” the statement said.
“In doing these estimated unregulated readings an undue financial hardship has been forced upon our citizens, especially upon the seniors, the unemployed and low-income families. We would also point out that many have had their electrical and gas services terminated over these estimated bills that have grown between $1,000 and $3,000,” the statement continued.
“These unfortunate people are being told by BGE that in order to restore their services or even if the bill is paid late, a new deposit in the hundreds of dollars will have to be paid. We feel that this deposit is completely unreasonable and unfair.”
The ministers made several demands in their statement requesting that BGE end its “fraudulent billing practices and service.”
In a statement to CP on Tuesday, BGE said they “generally don’t utilize estimated billings” and they work with customers like Friendship Baptist Church to provide help with bill payment options.
“BGE works with all customers, including Friendship Baptist Church, to help them access various payment options and energy assistance resources. We generally don’t utilize estimated billings, and we have not utilized estimated billings at this property for many years,” Nick Alexopulos, BGE communications manager said.
“Nearly all BGE residential and commercial gas and electric customers have smart meters, which automatically send meter readings to BGE — helping eliminate estimated bills and the need for a meter reader to visit a customer's home or business,” he added.
Alexopulos, also noted that disconnecting a customer’s electric service is usually BGE’s “last resort in its credit and collections process.”
“We know energy affordability remains a challenge for some customers, particularly those who are the most vulnerable, and there continues to be a need for energy assistance in our service area. We are committed to helping eligible customers access energy assistance — financial support for those who need it most,” he said.
Tori Leonard, communications director of the Maryland Public Service Commission, told CP that if consumers are concerned about the accuracy of the smart meter readings, they can always request a check of their meter by the agency for a $10 fee to make sure everything is in working order.
Gwynn, who says he is a longtime homebuilder in Maryland, said he wants to bring attention to the abuses consumers are facing from energy companies statewide so he will be exploring his legal options to ensure his electric bill is fairly reviewed. For now, he is refusing to pay his outstanding energy bill and is relying on generators for his church's electricity needs.
According to Alexopulos, when BGE makes disconnections, they do so “to protect other customers from the burden of paying” unrecovered costs from delinquent consumers.
“BGE is committed to reconnecting customers after they’ve been disconnected, and to do so as quickly as possible. Throughout the credit and collections process, customers have multiple opportunities and checkpoints to make payments and enroll in payment plans, in addition to seeking financial assistance through one of the many available energy assistance programs to avoid reaching the point of disconnection,” he said. “BGE customers who are past due on their bills receive letters, phone calls, and emails that promote energy assistance options and payment plan offerings. This not only helps those in need, but also helps all customers by driving down uncollectible accounts — costs borne by all customers.”
