Vol75-12 December 2025

Cooperative volunteers team up to support local children

In October, 25 of your cooperative employees volunteered to assist the Southern Maryland Food Bank with their impactful Snack Sak program. Volunteers assembled more than 350 Saks, which will benefit students in Charles and St. Mary’s counties. This program helps bridge the weekend hunger gap for children who rely on school breakfast and lunch during the week.

Snack Sak program

Legislative Energy Relief is coming

Many residential SMECO members saw a credit on their August bills, thanks to the Legislative Energy Relief Refund, a statewide effort to help offset high energy costs. This refund was created through Maryland House Bill 1035, enacted by Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland General Assembly in 2025.

Energy relief refund

Scholarships are available for eligible high school students in the region

SMECO is offering four $2,500 scholarships to local high school students who excel in their endeavors and show promise in their chosen field of study.

Scholarships are available

Are you missing unclaimed funds?

SMECO has uncashed checks that were issued as capital credit refunds to members, as payments to vendors, or as donations to local organizations.

Do you have unclaimed funds?

Cold weather may increase your bill

Cold weather directly translates into higher energy usage, which results in higher energy bills. For members who want to save money, small changes can help reduce energy use during cold weather.

Save energy

Can you see yourself driving an EV?

First, let’s look at the facts. Electric vehicles (EVs) cost significantly less to operate than gas-powered vehicles—three to five times cheaper, depending on local gas prices and electricity rates. EVs produce no tailpipe emissions, and you can skip trips to the gas station by charging at home using a Level 1 or Level 2 charger. EV motors offer quiet, smooth performance, stronger acceleration, and require less maintenance than traditional gas-powered engines.

Consider an EV

Standard Offer Service rate update

Total residential Standard Offer Service (SOS) rate for November: $0.105273 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

• Winter Residential Energy Charge: $0.1060 per kWh 
• November Residential Power Cost Adjustment (PCA): ($0.000727) per kWh 

SMECO’s PCA for November was 0.69% less than the current residential base SOS rate.

SOS rate update