FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2025
Contact: lesley.paredes-hernandez@sierraclub.org, (240) 424-0976
Annapolis, MD – Yesterday, in a complaint filed against Washington Gas Light (WGL), the Maryland Public Service Commission ruled that the utility had been misleading customers about the impacts of gas in advertising distributed in October and November 2021. This ruling comes years after the initial complaint was filed by the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel in 2021, which was later joined by the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter, represented by Earthjustice.
In 2021, WGL made misleading statements on customer bills, claiming that gas was “clean energy,” that gas was one-third the price of electricity, and that using gas instead of electricity would save acres of trees. The bill insert falsely insinuated that gas has no environmental impacts. The case was originally dismissed by the Public Service Commission (PSC), before the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled the PSC made a mistake when it dismissed the complaint.
In response to yesterday’s ruling, leading advocates on this case have issued the following statements:
“Yesterday’s ruling is a win for both customers and the environment,” said Josh Tulkin, Director of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter. “It protects Washington Gas Light customers from receiving misleading information in their utility bills. Unlike what was stated in the bills, gas has negative environmental impacts both on our indoor air quality and on our climate. We applaud the Maryland Public Service Commission for ruling in favor of accurate information for customers.”
“The Maryland Public Service Commission’s decision that Washington Gas Light has been misleading customers about the impacts of gas is a major victory,” said Susan Stevens Miller, senior attorney at Earthjustice. “People deserve to have accurate information about how methane gas harms our air and our planet, and it’s great to finally see the gas industry held accountable for including deceptive and false claims about its product in customer bills.”