Maryland State Public Benefit Funds for Rate Assistance

• Maryland's restructuring legislation, which was passed in April 1999, provided a $34 million universal service program (USP) to be administered by the Department of Human Resources (DHR) through the Maryland Energy Assistance Program.
  
  As of July 2000, DHR began collecting the universal service funds and operating the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) that was authorized in restructuring legislation. The EUSP helps participants pay current and past due electric bills and provides weatherization measures.
  
  For its forth year, (07/02 - 06/03) DHR spent $27.6 million on rate assistance for 69,781 households and $1.5 million on arrearage retirement for 3,551 households. Funding for the fifth year will continue at $34 million, projected expenditures include $32 million for payment assistance and arrearage forgiveness combined.
  
  See updates due to electric utility restructuring.

LEVERAGING

2003: $29.1 million
2002: $26.8 million (includes energy efficiency)
2001: $27.3 million
2000: $6.4 million

Page Last Updated: December 7, 2005