WASHINGTON – BGE customers are going to have to shell out a bit more to keep the lights on.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Maryland regulators have given the green light to the utility’s second rate increase this year.

Customers will pay an average of $2.13 cents a month for electricity and an extra 76 cents for gas.

The rate increase is half what the utility asked for.

The board also approved a monthly surcharge that will average 8 cents a month, growing to 36 cents in five years.

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