Rates are going up dramatically this summer for Baltimore Gas and Electric customers, including more than 90,000 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

So the company is offering the chance to spread out the increase over three years, interest-free. But customers must choose to do so by the end of the month, and some are worried that residents won’t get the message in time.

So Citizens Involved, a Burtonsville-area organization, is spreading the word. Eileen York, the group’s founder coordinated a major public meeting last week with energy officials in Montgomery County and has more meetings in the works.

The idea, she said, is to tell people that they aren’t locked into simply having one massive increase.

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To reflect increases in the current market rate, the annual cost of a customer’s electric bill will soar 50 percent, according to company estimates.

“Between this year and last that means rates went up 72 percent,” York said. “For some people that means they’re paying $1,000 bills.”

BGE representatives said the increases started June 1.

But customers have until the end of the month to decide whether they want to spread out the increase. The company’s rate stabilization plan allows residents to transition to market rates over three years, followed by a repayment period beginning April 1, 2008.

According to BGE, when customers do repay the difference they can do so without interest and up until Dec. 31, 2009.

York stresses, in particular, the interest-free portion of the deal, which is an extra bonus not included in BGE’s original plan to the Public Service Commission.

BGE currently serves more than 1 million electric customers and more than 600,000 gas customers in 10 Maryland counties.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com