[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6328281,"mediaKeyId","2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43","parentId",2320753,"title","Residents describe billing errors and third‑party supplier charges; legislators urge consumer‑protection review","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7239000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43&start=7239&end=7239","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43/thumbnail_7239000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6328281/Delaware/Residents-describe-billing-errors-and-thirdparty-supplier-charges-legislators-urge-consumerprotection-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328281-ab8c02e13f9331875c98af1a58a11d24/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489094&Signature=l2tYY13AFTtCAOEJOCM9b0Z25BqecdEgm1l9FhxY8ddUGwVrk-7B1HRBpiDi72jrLmSWsFCFkWvGqxBlT42z0lDAhO9XDICHljaly-A9U6lGaGCcJk50odMOtCfBIWvAx~vvxohqZMyb8B9XomSOd70A8hBdLk8e4VLABq5VswrZLGosm4g-DseMOkBFIlQ-yhHC1UyTJBKMZviq9JkR4631rWi1y1fVZjmJ0C144lyEdCvyXHQqpELSWFjr1Y8~nKbnX~1jICKNToAMEPyPVKO7xrag8bWvV0nBO-EYwSs3K7fltKoX5JePESIprUafFp5W1n8122V-0KoaZZmF~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Delaware Legislature","date","2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","article","Numerous residents who testified at the Feb. 14 Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee hearing reported sudden, large Delmarva Power bills, billing‑system errors and unexpected charges from third‑party suppliers that appear on utility statements.

The nut graf: Public commenters described bills that rose from the low hundreds to several hundred or thousands of dollars, and several said third‑party suppliers such as “Think Energy” or marketing firms had enrolled a customer’s supply line without the resident’s clear authorization. Legislators asked Delmarva staff to investigate and suggested consumer‑protection referrals.

During public comment Terry Baker said his account showed an additional charge from a provider the household did not authorize and described the experience as “outrageous,” citing a policy change he traced to SB 33. Senator Carol Hoffman and Senator Russ Huxtable noted that some customers received documents that looked like utility‑issued bills and urged the committee to involve the attorney general’s consumer‑protection division. Hoffman recommended that the committee collect specific bills for forensic review and work with the attorney general on consumer fraud investigations.

Delmarva representatives said they would investigate individual cases and work with constituents. Delmarva also acknowledged a technical error Delmarva staff referenced earlier — a missed debit for some customers in December that was rolled into January bills — and said company staff were resolving customer accounts and connecting people to payment options and assistance. Senator Huxtable emphasized that some constituents’ bills rose by multiples and asked whether nonpayment disconnections would be broadly paused; Delmarva said company disconnections were suspended for February 2025 and that the company would waive certain fees and promote payment plans.

Ending: Multiple senators urged residents with suspect bills to submit accounts to the committee and the public advocate and to contact the attorney general’s consumer unit. The committee invited Delmarva to supply examples and to coordinate with the public advocate and AG’s office to resolve apparent billing errors and possible unauthorized supplier enrollments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee Meeting Feb 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During a Senate hearing, many residents described unexpectedly high bills, alleged billing errors and unwanted third‑party supplier enrollments appearing on Delmarva statements; senators and the committee suggested referrals to the attorney general and public advocate for investigation.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature DE Collection, Legislative, Delaware","taxId",77708,"location","Delaware","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6328287,"Lawmakers and experts press PJM, utilities and regulators on capacity market, retirements and renewables' role",1125,2717000,3842000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43&start=2717&end=3842","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43/thumbnail_2717000.jpg","/articles/6328287/Delaware/Lawmakers-and-experts-press-PJM-utilities-and-regulators-on-capacity-market-retirements-and-renewables-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328287-0f93b302e68570d019704497d8a4f403/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489094&Signature=YGwVbyMgK4SpUh~kIXD6ECHkSOQLDzdQS-oLL89c8zDOi92JJSrb-nZznUP2nP04su5ok0IMr5AbsCZzrkQS8pp3VKFQFHPeph~BODmKyw6TiQnSabI7jaMO0ZVRmuwXr35Qho16cTeGruN~901X1G5DNtjV9jvTo7t5LFnVKSmHOuXQ1gPA9pEU~~dilqtxrjMikMKld2G7rpMWVmjGqQViwdVWa8~hJWRHWq9Bdyj4WUCenw~5PgCQ51blsJm9-vSHwlS4wbs0X9Ob2sUuJ61dVaZDu5UItrHl2ZQnxiPKK~Fip2c8FuzKHnogcKVK3KW~NvNhyOwrBSJyHrR-Gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers at a Feb. 14 Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee hearing pressed Delmarva Power, the Public Service Commission and energy‑policy experts about how retiring dispatchable power plants, regional capacity auctions and state renewable mandates combine to affect customer bills and grid reliability.

The committee’s nut graf: Senators focused on whether retirements of dispatchable generation in the PJM region, higher capacity auction results and growing demand — including new data centers and electrification — have created a supply scarcity that pushed wholesale and capacity costs higher, and whether Delaware’s renewable goals or policy decisions contributed to that scarcity.

Mario Giovannini of Delmarva explained that PJM’s capacity auction (the Base Residual Auction) assigns capacity credits based on a plant’s dispatchability. “If there are retirements on the system at PJM and they're not replaced timely with acceptable generation or dispatchable generation,” Giovannini said, “yes. That would be imputed into a capacity charge that we purchased from wholesale suppliers during the SOS function.” Matt Hartigan, executive director of the Delaware Public Service Commission, described the auction timing and noted that the July 2024 auction settled for the June 2025–May 2026 delivery year; Delmarva representatives said customers will see related costs beginning June 1, 2025.

Drew Slater, executive director of Energize Delaware, told the committee the PJM interconnection queue is a major bottleneck — projects face permitting, siting, supply‑chain and financing delays — and that effective load‑carrying capability (ELCC) produces much lower capacity values for solar and wind than for dispatchable plants. He said those lower ELCC values mean the system needs more renewable nameplate capacity to deliver the same reliable supply as dispatchable generation, and batteries and storage are part of the solution but require scale and financing.

Several senators, including Eric Buxton and Brian Pettyjohn, warned that policy timelines and mandates had encouraged retirements and that renewable buildout has not yet produced the dispatchable capacity needed to replace retiring plants; others cautioned that natural gas is also volatile and that an ‘‘all‑of‑the‑above’’ approach — including storage and, potentially, advanced nuclear or new dispatchable gas units — should be considered.

Committee members asked for PJM to appear at a follow‑up hearing. The PSC said it applies Delaware’s business‑judgment legal standard in rate reviews and that commission actions are constrained by statutory and legal standards.

Ending: Senators and experts agreed further hearings are necessary. The committee flagged the June 1, 2025 SOS pricing impact and asked agencies and PJM to provide more detailed data on capacity auction drivers, retirements, and the interconnection queue.","At a Senate hearing, legislators probed how retirements of dispatchable plants, PJM capacity prices and state renewable mandates interact to affect customer costs and grid reliability; experts said retirements and supply‑demand imbalances are raising capacity prices while renewables' limited effective capacity changes how PJM credits generation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6328292,"Delmarva tells Delaware lawmakers winter usage drove most bill increases; company offers temporary relief",1364,370000,1734000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43&start=370&end=1734","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2320753-08822f4dd813743d82669b86ed91ed43/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6328292/Delaware/Delmarva-tells-Delaware-lawmakers-winter-usage-drove-most-bill-increases-company-offers-temporary-relief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328292-335f1ba27f0f73e2d89b1f318b8b4043/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489094&Signature=CRo6xOENM8x6KTL5CJ5Gd-m2NsdWCPTV7uemd2iaH9giZXGGxs9ikqlSA5DznrQVBEUaQfpX7pEfaswraFEJIL-JpY9bIWbaIINUsQOmVeqwreflNbW2Oyvu1yN8TGMuLzNeg0YQ3c1GdxBJrLMHWXrFJSCkXk811Q0td3cGST3YJT7EzJrDbddDimViMN04hgZuW2SVJRklDCLjlBa9i72qDkdNsoKzItOVcSQxh3a0aInspbo7GFjMjuEzKhlQNKFw~95j7qhRi2HXJpW1kIqVxb~byNJOEAwbbZYV4IH0Vo2jFvjHEe9~kZz33E7E~m1ztKUvQJyVg-7q6QG45w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delmarva Power told the Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee on Feb. 14 that unusually cold weather and higher customer usage were the primary drivers of the large residential bills that prompted the hearing. Philip Vavila, regional president for Delmarva Power, said Delmarva’s review of customer bills found usage — not newly added charges — accounted for the bulk of recent month‑to‑month increases.

Vavila said, “there are no new charges on the bill.” He told legislators the company redesigned its bill last November to break out supply and delivery so customers could see how much usage, delivery, taxes and program charges each contributed to the total. The company showed an example in which roughly 90% of the month‑over‑month increase was usage driven while rate changes made a much smaller contribution.

The nut graf: Lawmakers and residents came to the committee seeking both explanations and immediate help as hundreds of public commenters reported bills far above recent norms. Delmarva presented technical drivers (usage, transmission and supply costs) and announced near‑term customer relief while senators pressed regulators and regional grid actors for broader answers about capacity and market prices.

In the body of the hearing Delmarva said the region experienced a new winter peak from Jan. 20–23 that also drove an all‑time winter peak on its electric system and peak gas send‑out in New Castle County. Vavila noted Delmarva serves more than 400,000 customers on the Delaware Peninsula and has about 1,200 employees in the state; he said the company connected about 8,000 customers to roughly $8.8 million in energy assistance in 2024 and planned similar community events in 2025.

Delmarva outlined the bill components: a customer (fixed) charge, a usage‑based distribution charge, and supply and transmission components that are purchased on customers’ behalf. Vavila said the standard offer service (SOS) supply price is a pass‑through determined by an auction and not set by Delmarva. Mario Giovannini, Delmarva’s energy acquisition executive, explained that capacity and transmission costs are set by regional markets (PJM) and that retirements of dispatchable plants can raise capacity prices.

To reduce immediate hardship, Delmarva announced temporary measures: no late payment fees for January and February 2025, up to 24‑month repayment plans for arrears, suspension of disconnections for nonpayment in February 2025, and waiving deposits for customers restoring service. Vavila said more than 3,800 customers had already enrolled in the special programs in the first days after they launched.

Senators, including Eric Buxton and Russ Huxtable, pressed Delmarva about the timing of rate‑case and supply‑price changes. Delmarva and the Public Service Commission (PSC) staff clarified that Delmarva had a distribution rate decision in April 2024 and that a separate SOS auction settled in July 2024 that will affect customer bills beginning June 1, 2025. Matt Hartigan, PSC executive director, explained the commission applies Delaware’s business‑judgment rule in rate cases and that disallowing costs requires proof of waste, fraud or abuse.

Ending: Delmarva emphasized customer outreach tools (a My Account portal with smart‑meter data and alerts, budget billing, community assistance events) and urged residents with concerns to use the company’s bill‑support resources or the public advocate. The committee scheduled follow‑up hearings to bring PJM and other agencies into the conversation about market and reliability drivers.","Delmarva Power told a Senate committee that an unusually cold January and increased household usage — not new line items — were the primary drivers of recent spikes in customer bills, and announced short‑term customer relief measures including suspended disconnections and longer repayment plans.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents describe billing errors and third‑party supplier charges; legislators urge consumer‑protection review

Lawmakers and experts press PJM, utilities and regulators on capacity market, retirements and renewables' role

Delmarva tells Delaware lawmakers winter usage drove most bill increases; company offers temporary relief