More Than 2,000 Income-Eligible Families Take Advantage of ComEd, Illinois Home Weatherization Service

Since 2018, partnership helped thousands of eligible families receive over $13 million in free home retrofit services while saving hundreds on annual energy bills

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 2,000 single-family homeowners in northern Illinois have taken part in a special home weatherization program that provides income-eligible customers with energy efficiency upgrades and home energy-saving products to improve the comfort of their homes.

In 2018, ComEd began contributing financial resources from its Home Energy Savings to the Illinois Department of Commerce’s Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) to allow a greater number of income-eligible customers to participate. The result is thousands of additional income-eligible homeowners receiving a total of over $13 million in ComEd incentives for home retrofit services delivered through IHWAP.

“Our commitment to provide affordable energy has never been more important than now,” said Erica Borggren, ComEd’s vice president of customer solutions. “Our participation in the statewide weatherization program ensures those in need can better manage their energy bills. Coupled with ComEd’s existing bill-assistance programs, our customers will often find the help they need in catching up with past-due balances and managing energy costs in the future.”

Each project under the combined program is developed based on the unique conditions of the home and is free to eligible customers. Customers who sign up for the service can receive a variety of energy-efficient products, including ENERGY STAR-certified LED light bulbs, air sealing, insulation, HVAC and water heater repair and replacement, and health and safety measures.

Last year, hundreds of ComEd single-family homeowners across northern Illinois saved an average of more than $800 a year in energy costs through IHWAP, which provides income-eligible Illinois residents access to affordable energy services, as well as upgrades that help improve indoor air quality and create a more comfortable home.

Services through IHWAP are delivered through a network of local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the northern Illinois areas in which ComEd serves. For northern Illinois residents using electricity and natural gas, ComEd collaborates with Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas who collectively work with 17 CAAs across northern Illinois.

Since 2018, single-family homeowners who took advantage of the combined IHWAP and ComEd Home Energy Savings offering saved a total of nearly 7,000 megawatt-hours (MWhs) of electricity , which is the same amount of energy it takes to power nearly 800 ComEd customers’ homes. These savings also have an annual environmental benefit equal to reducing nearly six million pounds of carbon emissions from the atmosphere, removing nearly 600 cars from the road or planting more than 3,200 acres of trees.

ComEd’s Home Energy Savings is part of the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program which is funded in accordance with state law and provides a range of services to help families and businesses reduce energy use and save money on their electric bills. Since its inception in 2008, the energy efficiency program has saved northern Illinois families and businesses approximately $6.7 billion on their electric bills, while saving nearly 62 million megawatt-hours of electricity. These savings have an environmental benefit equal to reducing more than 52 billion pounds of carbon emissions from the atmosphere, removing more than 5 million cars from the road or planting more than 29 million acres of trees.

Additional Offerings for Income-Eligible ComEd Customers

ComEd Home Energy Savings is just one of a number of energy-efficiency offerings designed to income-eligible customers save money and energy. Others include:

• Home Energy Savings Get weatherization improvements, such as insulation and air sealing, and energy-saving products that may reduce energy waste by up to 20% and lower your energy costs. These improvements can also enhance indoor air quality and create a more comfortable home.
• Food Bank Distribution Pick up free ENERGY STAR^® certified LEDs and other energy saving products at participating local food pantries.
• Energy Savings Kits Contact your local community agency and those that qualify may receive a free energy-savings kit that includes a variety of ENERGY STAR certified LEDs, an advanced power strip, faucet aerators and more.
• Retail Discounts Provides customers in need with access to higher discounts on ENERGY STAR certified LEDs and energy-efficiency home products through participating retailers located throughout northern Illinois. Discounts on products are applied instantly at the point of purchase.

For more information, visit ComEd.com/HomeSavings for a list of residential offerings and ComEd.com/BizSavings for a list of business offerings.

ComEd also offers a number of bill-assistance options to help customers with their electric bills. Any customer experiencing difficulty 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.

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.