Photo by nevermindtheend.

Fresh off doling out credits to Maryland and D.C. customers, Pepco is now looking to increase rates in the Old Line State by 10 percent.

Pepco today filed a rate request with the Maryland Public Service Commission, which would affect around 560,000 customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. The increase is the equivalent of around $15.80 per month, according to the company, which says the average monthly bill currently stands at $152.

This comes after the electricity company recently completed its $6.8 billion merger with Exelon, though Pepco says that the “request for an increase is unrelated to Pepco Holdings’ recent merger with Exelon and will be used to recover costs from the reliability and technology investments the company made prior to the merger.”

While this hike does not impact D.C. ratepayers, Pepco spokesperson Vincent Morris says that Pepco will be proposing rate increases in the District “later this year.”

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh says that “this is only the beginning” now that the companies’ merger has gone through. “The credits are a one-time deal,” says Cheh, who has been a steadfast opponent of the merger. “They put a couple of pennies in front of us, but meanwhile they’re reaching deep into our pockets.”

D.C. negotiated with the companies for $25.6 million to offset rate increases for residents, money that will ultimately be controlled by the Public Service Commission after back-and-forth over who would allocate the funds. “The money put aside will be eaten up in the first rate increase,” says Cheh.

While the merger between the two companies is already legally completed, Cheh has another idea to get around Exelon.

She will propose putting money towards a study on creating a public power system, similar to an authority like DC Water, during this year’s budget process. She tried to do the same thing last year. It was approved on a first vote, though during the second vote seven councilmembers offered an amendment that redirected the funds. “That again is the influence of Exelon on massive display,” Cheh says.

She says she’s convinced two of the seven members who offered the amendment to support the study this year. “I think it’ll pass, but you never know because these people are so powerful.”

Updated with comment from Vincent Morris.