Does SMECO pay for a home EV charger?

No. SMECO does not pay toward the charger or the installation. What it pays is a bill credit after the fact, up to $120 a year, for enrolling a connected Level 2 charger in its managed charging program.

That trips people up because two different programs apply to a Calvert County home and they get blended into one in conversation. The money toward the install comes from the state, through the Maryland Energy Administration. The money from SMECO comes later, month by month, once you are charging. Here is what each one pays and the order to do things in so you collect both.

What SMECO actually pays

SMECO calls the program SMECO EV Recharge, and its own page puts it this way: "Earning up to $120 each year is easy with SMECO EV Recharge." There are two options under it.

• Managed Charging.In SMECO’s words, "Earn $10 a month in bill credits with Managed Charging. Enroll once, set your schedule, then plug in at home and we’ll handle the rest." The co-op shifts your charging to cheaper hours and credits your bill for letting it.
• Off-Peak Savings. An EV time-of-use rate. You charge during off-peak hours and pay a lower rate for that electricity instead of a flat credit.

Neither option sends you a check for the electrician. If a salesperson tells you SMECO will cover part of the install, they are thinking of the state rebate below.

How to enroll

Enrollment is through the SMECO EV Recharge page linked above, and it needs equipment SMECO can talk to. As of its current list, Managed Charging accepts ChargePoint, Emporia and FLO chargers, or a Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC or Tesla vehicle the co-op can schedule directly. Off-Peak Savings adds Lexus and Toyota to the vehicle list. If your charger or car is not on the list, SMECO says to check back as it adds more.

What Maryland pays instead

The install money is the Maryland residential EVSE rebate, run by the Maryland Energy Administration. For the current fiscal year it pays 50% of eligible costs, up to $700, on a Level 2 charger and its installation. You apply after the charger is installed, running and paid in full, through the MyMEA portal. The application window runs to May 31, 2027, but the portal can close early once the budget is spoken for, and about a quarter of it already was by late September. Our rebate guide walks through the paperwork.

Which chargers qualify for both

The state program takes nearly any Level 2 unit, hardwired or plug-in. SMECO is the picky one. So the charger choice comes down to SMECO’s list: a ChargePoint, Emporia or FLO unit gets you the state rebate and the SMECO credit. Any other brand gets you the rebate alone, unless your vehicle is one SMECO can schedule on its own. We will tell you this before you buy anything, because the wrong charger costs you $120 a year for as long as you own it.

The order to do things in

1. Install under a Calvert County permit with a licensed electrician. The state program requires a Maryland-licensed electrical contractor on the install, and the permit fee counts as an eligible cost. Our permit guide covers that step.
2. Pay the invoice in full and keep it. The state wants a line-item breakdown with prices and quantities for the charger and the labor.
3. Apply to MEA through the MyMEA portal within six months of final payment, with the invoice and two photos: the mounted charger, and the charger plugged into the car and charging.
4. Enroll with SMECO once the charger is online. The credits start from there.

The whole process from quote to inspection is on our how it works page. Tell us which car you drive when you ask for a quote and we will point you at a charger that collects both.