DELMARVA. - This winter's consistently cold temperatures led to increased customer demand for heating at Delmarva Power.
The extreme cold experienced this past January and December of 2025 caused Delmarva Power to have to meet a significantly higher demand for heating. Delmarva Power is saying those two months ranked among the coldest of the decade.
Despite the increase in usage, Delmarva Power Region President Marcus Beal says their systems operated reliably.
“Our teams prepare year-round for extreme weather and increased demand,” said Beal. “Thanks to continued investments in our electric and natural gas systems and careful operational planning, we were able to deliver safe, reliable service when customers needed it most.”
The power group ranked January 2026 in Delaware as the second coldest over the decade, and was over 11 percent colder than the winter conditions that Delmarva typically sees. For Maryland, both December and January ranked among the coldest winters over the past decade, with December coming in second coldest.
From Jan. 19 to Jan. 31, the Liquefied Natural Gas facility that Delmarva Power operates ran during nine days of a 13-day span to ensure customer needs were met. Delmarva Power says the recorded amounts of LNG cost roughly $4.7 million less than typical market prices.
With the previously mentioned historically cold temperatures comes high levels of demand for heat. Delmarva Power warns customers that the higher usage rates will be reflected in customer bills.
The company notes that natural gas costs can also fluctuate based on regional supply and demand, especially in periods of extreme cold.