ComEd Energy Doctors have tips to manage energy use as nights get longer and temperatures turn colder

With the conclusion of Daylight Savings Time Sunday, Nov. 5, longer nights and colder temperatures could mean an increase in energy use for many customers staying indoors longer and looking to stay warm. To help homeowners manage both energy use and the cost of their utility bills, ComEd’s Energy Doctors offer tips that involve little to no money to implement.

ComEd’s Energy Doctors are a resource for customers who want to keep energy costs low as outside temperatures start to drop. They offer no-cost and low-cost tips to anyone looking to hold the line on energy bills year round, and may be able to answer questions unique to the design and construction of a customer’s home.

“No matter the season, ComEd offers customers tools and tips to manage their energy use and save money,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd’s chief customer officer and senior vice president of customer operations. “Oftentimes, there are subtle changes you can make that can result in significant reductions in energy use and the cost of your electric bill.”

Energy-saving tips for cold-weather months

During the cold-weather season, ComEd’s Energy Doctors remind customers that they can manage energy use and save money on their electric bills by following a few tips:

• When the sun is shining, open shades on south-facing windows and take advantage of natural light for warmth. Close shades during the night to help insulate your home.
• Set your thermostat to as low a temperature as possible to maintain personal comfort. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall heating bill will be. Overnight, you can also save by turning your thermostat down a few degrees while sleeping.
• Clear area around heating and cooling vents. Furniture, carpets, and other objects can block vents and prevent heated air from circulating in your home.
• Unplug electronics when they're not in use. Some devices, like televisions, game consoles and computers, continue to draw electricity even when turned off, so unplug electronics when you don't need them.

“As the weather gets colder and the sun goes down earlier, energy bills tend to go up. In addition to taking advantage of free, energy-saving tips, making your home more energy efficient with simple upgrades like LED bulbs, power strips, and smart thermostats allows you to cozy up with your cocoa while keeping your energy bills low,” said Paige Knutsen, MEEA Executive Director.

Energy-saving tips come courtesy of the award-winning ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, which is funded in compliance with state law. It is one of the largest programs in the nation offering residents, businesses and the public sector ways to control energy costs, including services and incentives that help them cut back on their energy use to reduce energy bills and help the environment.

In addition to saving customers more than $8 billion on their energy bills since 2008, the energy-efficiency program has helped customers save approximately 76 million megawatt-hours of electricity, which is enough energy to power 8.6 million ComEd customers' homes for one year.

To get started, ComEd offers free home energy assessments that evaluate the interior of a home or unit to find ways to lower energy costs. Since 2014, more than 130,000 homeowners and renters across northern Illinois have saved a total of approximately $17.5 million on their energy bills through home assessments, based on 2021 rates.

ComEd Bill-Assistance Options

For anyone facing difficulty paying their electric bill, ComEd offers payment assistance programs to help customers avoid late notices and disconnection, including grants, deferred payment plans and energy-saving tips. For information, visit ComEd.com/PaymentAssistance or call 800-EDISON1 (800-334-7661) Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Through September alone, ComEd has helped connect more than 170,000 eligible customers to $72 million in grants and other bill assistance.

To make it easier for customers to sort through ComEd's payment assistance, as well as energy-efficiency programs that can help customers manage future energy costs, ComEd offers its Smart Assistance Manager at ComEd.com/SAM. SAM, an online self-service tool that can match customers with payment-assistance programs and energy-efficiency offerings to help them manage their electric bills now and into the future.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 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, X, Instagram and YouTube.

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