Solar America › Maryland Electric Rates › SMECO
Maryland · Updated September 2026
Why your SMECO bill is so high
SMECO is a cooperative, not an investor-owned utility, and its bill is assembled differently. Here is what is on it, why it moves, and what a roof does against it.
Not publishedSMECO does not publish a single all-in residential rateRanked #1 by Solar Power World · Inc. 5000 · 20,000+ installations
Estimate what solar does against your SMECO bill
Enter your bill and we’ll size the array that would cover it, and show the gross value of that production at your rate. It does not net off the customer charge, taxes or what you would still draw at night — for that, use the bill savings calculator. Nothing is sent anywhere; this runs in your browser.
An estimate from your own numbers, not a quote, and not a savings figure. It assumes 400 W panels, an 80% system derate and no roof constraints. Your real number depends on orientation, roof area and your utility’s export credit. Savings are not guaranteed.
The numbers
Where SMECO stands right now
| Measure | Current | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| All-in residential rate | Not published | SMECO publishes components, not a combined figure. We do not substitute another utility's number |
| Standard Offer Service | Energy charge + PCA | The Power Cost Adjustment changes monthly and can be a credit or a charge |
| Delivery | Distribution charge | Regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission, billed per kilowatt-hour |
| Fixed monthly | Facilities charge | Applies regardless of how much power you use |
| Maryland statewide all-in | ~19.0–22.0¢ | For comparison — your own bill is the only exact figure |
| Members served | 150,000+ | Charles, St. Mary's, Calvert and southern Prince George's counties |
| Structure | Member-owned cooperative | Not-for-profit; savings are returned rather than marked up |
| Market | Retail choice available | Supply can be shopped; delivery stays with SMECO |
SMECO publishes its Standard Offer Service components separately rather than as a single all-in figure. The Maryland statewide all-in residential range is about 19.0–22.0¢.
Why it moved
What is actually driving this
The bill has four moving parts
Energy charge, Power Cost Adjustment, distribution charge and facilities charge. Only when you add all four and divide by your kilowatt-hours do you get your actual rate. No single published number does that for you.
The PCA changes every month
SMECO's Power Cost Adjustment tracks what the cooperative paid for wholesale power. It has historically swung between a credit and a charge, which is why two bills with the same usage can differ.
PJM wholesale costs
SMECO buys power in PJM, the same wholesale market as Maryland, New Jersey and the rest of Maryland. Capacity prices across that market have risen sharply and flow through to what members pay.
A rural distribution network
Serving southern Maryland means miles of line per customer. Those fixed network costs sit in the distribution and facilities charges regardless of usage.
What a roof does against it
Production against a 20.5¢ rate
This part of Maryland averages about 4.2 peak sun hours a day, so a kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1,197 kilowatt-hours a year. A 9 kW system makes around 10,773 kilowatt-hours annually — about $2,208 of SMECO electricity a year at the current rate.
That is production value, not a savings figure. What you actually keep depends on how much of it you use directly versus export, what SMECO credits exports at, and what you pay for the system. Under a power purchase agreement there is no upfront cost and you buy the production at an agreed rate instead.
The residential federal tax credit (25D) ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
You will still see ads promising a 30% credit that “ends December 31.” Read the date on them. If you buy a system today as a homeowner, you cannot claim that credit. What remains under 48E applies to the owner of the system — which, under a PPA, is us. SolarAmerica does not provide tax advice; talk to your tax professional about your situation.
Every figure here is an estimate built from published rates and modeled production. It is not a savings guarantee, and no solar company can honestly give you one. Your actual result depends on your roof, your usage and what your utility charges next year.
Who you would be working with
SolarAmerica
We design your system and manage the project; installation is performed by vetted licensed partners in your area. SolarAmerica is not itself the installing contractor.
SMECO questions
The things people actually ask
What is SMECO's electric rate per kWh?
SMECO does not publish a single all-in residential rate. Its bill is assembled from a Standard Offer Service energy charge, a Power Cost Adjustment that changes monthly, a distribution charge and a fixed facilities charge. To find your actual rate, divide your total bill by the kilowatt-hours shown on it. Across Maryland the all-in residential rate runs roughly 19 to 22 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Why does my SMECO bill change when my usage did not?
The Power Cost Adjustment. It reflects what SMECO actually paid for wholesale power in that period and it is recalculated monthly, appearing as either a credit or an additional charge. Two months with identical usage can produce different bills purely because the PCA moved.
Where does SMECO provide service?
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative serves more than 150,000 services in Charles County, St. Mary's County, Calvert County and southern Prince George's County. It is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
Can I shop for a cheaper electricity supplier with SMECO?
Maryland offers retail electric supply choice, so you can buy the generation and transmission portion from a competitive supplier while SMECO continues to deliver the power. Shopping changes the supply portion only. The distribution charge and the facilities charge are regulated and stay the same whoever supplies you.
See what your roof and SMECO actually add up to
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