ComEd Reminds Customers of Enhanced and More Flexible Assistance Options Available to Help Pay Electric Bills

Energy company urges customers to reach out to be connected to expanded bill-assistance and payment options

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recognizing that many Illinois families continue to face financial challenges brought on by both the pandemic and higher prices, ComEd reminds customers that finding help with paying electric bills could be a phone call or website away.

“As the provider of a critical service, we’re committed to monitoring the changing economic conditions that challenge some of our customers’ ability to pay their electric bills and enhancing our range of support options that will keep the lights on,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd's chief customer officer and senior vice president of customer operations. “But to help our customers, we need to hear from them. ComEd urges anyone who would like to learn about the assistance options available to get in touch with the ComEd care center or visit ComEd.com immediately – ComEd is ready to assist all our customers.”

ComEd representatives can help connect eligible customers to funding available through state and federal assistance programs, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is available through May 31, 2022. To bolster this support, ComEd also offers assistance through its Supplemental Arrearage Reduction Program (SARP), which is available to ComEd residential customers who qualified to receive energy-assistance benefits from LIHEAP.

"We have seen an unprecedented increase in the number of individuals seeking help with making ends meet, due to both the pandemic and other world events,” said Harold Rice, president and chief executive officer of the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA). “That’s why we’re committed, more than ever, to leveraging our more than 55 years of operations, education and engagement with local residents, and partnering with organizations like ComEd, to provide high-quality services to families who need them most.”

Any customer experiencing difficulty with paying their electric bill is encouraged to call ComEd immediately at 1-800-334-7661 (1-800-EDISON-1), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to learn more on how to apply. Information on each of these options is available at ComEd.com/PaymentAssistance.

Enhanced payment options

In addition to financial-assistance options, ComEd also offers residential customers the following payment programs:

• A more flexible and generous deferred payment arrangement (DPA) of up to 12 months with zero dollars down through July 31, 2022, for low-income customers. All other residential customers who contact ComEd can sign up for a DPA of up to 12 months with 10-percent down through July 31, 2022.
• For any ComEd residential customer who has had service disconnected, but subsequently enrolls in LIHEAP or a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), ComEd will waive reconnection fees through July 31, 2022.
• Budget billing, which provides a predictable monthly payment based on your electricity usage from the last 12 months.
• Flexible payment options like due-date extensions.
• High-usage alerts, which enable customers to receive alerts when we notice their usage is trending higher than normal to help manage overall energy use, and energy-management tips to help customers manage energy use to save money now and on future energy bills.

Recently, ComEd announced that eligible low-income residential customers will also no longer be assessed late-payment fees or deposits, and any deposits already provided to ComEd are being returned. Visit ComEd.com/Eligibility for eligibility guidelines and to apply.

Easier access to assistance and energy-saving options

To streamline access to financial-assistance options and programs that can help families and individuals manage their electric bills, ComEd recently launched the Smart Assistance Manager (SAM).

SAM is an online self-service tool that can match customers with the payment-assistance programs for which they may eligible – including deferred-payment arrangements and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – then provides guidance and links to apply.

SAM also provides recommendations on energy-efficiency offerings that can save customers money and energy, including free home energy assessments and discounts on energy-saving products.

Support options are generated based on each customer’s household information, such as energy usage and billing history. Customers who create an online account with ComEd through the “My Account” tool can log in while using SAM to get even more personalized, targeted results. Customers interested in accessing this free tool can visit ComEd.com/SAM.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 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, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube .