ComEd to Initiate Energy Savings Day, Customers Can Reap Summer Savings Using Smart Meters

The summer heat is in full effect and today ComEd will call an Energy Savings Day during the hours of 1 – 4 p.m. for customers enrolled in its AC Cycling Thermostat Pilot and Peak Time Savings program.

ComEd typically schedules Energy Savings Days when an increased demand for electricity throughout the Midwest region is anticipated. While the power supply in the region is expected to be sufficient to meet anticipated high demand, customers enrolled in demand-response programs can voluntarily scale back on their energy usage and receive credits and incentives.

The AC Cycling Thermostat pilot provides customers with incentives of up to $40 for reducing their air conditioning use during the summer’s high demand periods. More than 3,500 customers are enrolled in the AC Cycling pilot, which require a Nest Learning Thermostat™ or XFINITY Home Thermostat to be installed at their home. On Energy Savings Day participating customers will have their temperatures automatically adjusted during the hours of 1 – 4 p.m. The customer is always in control, and can change the temperature anytime by simply adjusting the setting.

“Our energy savings days are designed to give our customers more information and options to manage their energy usage and save on their electric bills,” said Val Jensen, senior vice president of Customer Operations, ComEd. “Our investments in smart meters have enabled greater use of technology and opened the doors for programs that provide customers with more personalized service.”

On July 23, ComEd called its first Energy Savings Day for customers enrolled in its other demand response program called Peak Time Savings (PTS). As a result, the customers enrolled in this program saved a total of $135,000. ComEd is the first utility in the Midwest to offer the smart meter-enabled program to customers. Currently, more than 58,000 ComEd customers are enrolled in PTS and can earn $1 credit on their electric bills for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity they reduce during PTS hours.

Peak Time Savings, and ComEd’s AC Cycling Thermostat Pilot are part of ComEd’s Smart Grid Exchange, a collaboration between ComEd, entrepreneurs, technology start-ups, universities and customers to explore and design new products, offers and innovative solutions that utilize the intelligence of the smart grid.

Prior to calling an Energy Savings Day, ComEd notifies customers usually the day before by phone and email or through an opt-in text notification. These notifications help customers plan ahead to ensure they have time to shift or reduce electricity use on the Energy Savings Day. To ensure customers receive Energy Savings Day notifications, they should update their contact information by visiting ComEd.com/MyAccount.

Customers can enroll in ComEd’s Peak Time Savings program by visiting ComEd.com/PTS.

ComEd recommends that customers consider the following tips to help save energy and stay comfortable during the Energy Savings Day:

• Consider turning some window units off during the Energy Savings Day, if you have them.
• Use an outdoor grill or microwave instead of the stove or oven.
• Avoid using other heat-producing appliances such as dishwashers and clothes dryers.
• Draw blinds and curtains in rooms that receive a lot of sunlight.
• Turn ceiling fan on with blades rotating counter clockwise.
• Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water.
• Consider going to a cool place such as a movie theater, mall or pool.
• Relax in the basement where the temperature is typically several degrees cooler than the rest of the house.

Other measures implemented by ComEd to help customers save money and manage their energy bills include a $50 million reduction in customer’s delivery rates, which will go into effect in January of 2016 and the launching of a plan to help customers in need apply for available financial assistance. As a result of the state’s budget issues, social services that provided access to financial assistance for utility bills have been closed. ComEd has launched 11 satellite locations to allow customers to apply for its remaining 2015 CARE funds. To learn more about these and other programs, please visit our website at ComEd.com.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 7.8 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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