ComEd Reminds Customers of Billing Assistance, Energy Management Tools Available to Help Lower Costs this Summer

Rhea-AI Summary

ComEd is reminding customers about various programs available to help manage and reduce electric bills as summer temperatures rise. These programs include the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), payment arrangements, due date extensions, budget billing, and deposit/late-payment charge waivers. Customers can also use the Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) tool for personalized assistance. Additionally, ComEd offers high-usage alerts, energy-management tips, and the Catch Up and Save program, which provides bill credits and energy-saving kits. The Fresh Start Services and Credit Empowerment initiatives offer personalized support for bill management and credit improvement. Since 2008, ComEd's energy efficiency program has saved customers $9 billion on energy bills and 82 million megawatt-hours of electricity. ComEd, a unit of Exelon (NASDAQ: EXC), serves over 4 million customers in northern Illinois.

Positive

• Offers various bill-assistance programs like LIHEAP, payment arrangements, and due date extensions.
• Provides energy management tools such as high-usage alerts and energy-efficiency tips.
• Introduces personalized tools like the Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) for tailored customer support.
• Catch Up and Save program helps eliminate past-due balances and offers energy-saving kits.
• Fresh Start Services and Credit Empowerment programs support financial and credit management.
• Energy efficiency program has saved customers $9 billion and 82 million megawatt-hours since 2008.
• ComEd serves over 4 million customers, covering 70% of Illinois' population.

Negative

• Eligibility for some programs like LIHEAP depends on income, limiting access for some customers.
• Payment plans and due date extensions may still require down payments and regular installments, potentially burdening those in severe financial distress.
• High-usage alerts and energy-management tips may not significantly reduce bills for all customers.

With summer temperatures set to heat up, ComEd programs can provide bill support and empower customers to lower energy use

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With meteorologists forecasting that summer temperatures in Illinois and nationwide could be the hottest on record, ComEd reminds customers of options available to help pay electric bills before summer usage increases.

“With communities experiencing increasingly high temperatures due to climate change, ComEd is empowering our customers and communities to navigate the summer months,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd’s Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives. “If you're experiencing economic hardship or difficulty paying bills, we urge you to immediately reach out to our teams. We can help connect you with information on bill assistance programs to help in the near-term, as well as energy-management programs that can help lower bill costs into the future.”

With communities experiencing rising temperatures due to climate change, many families and businesses turn to air conditioners to deal with the heat. These and other cooling devices can cause increases in electricity use. Luckily, ComEd has options to help customers manage both bills and usage.

To make it easier for families and individuals to find bill-assistance and energy-savings options that best fit their needs, ComEd encourages customers to use its Smart Assistance Manager (SAM), an online self-service tool that matches customers with programs that can help them manage their electric bills now and into the future. Customers can access SAM at ComEd.com/SAM to find more information on any of the following options. Customers without online access can call 800-334-7661 (800-EDISON1).

Residential bill-assistance options

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which provides a one-time grant, per program year, with no payback required, while funding remains available. To be eligible, household incomes cannot exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines which, for a family of four, is $4,625 a month.
• Payment arrangements of up to 12 months for eligible residential customers with past-due balances. Make a down payment on the amount owed and pay the rest through installments in addition to your regular monthly bill.
• Due Date Extensions of up to 21-days of a customer’s due date.
• Budget billing, which provides a predictable monthly payment based on your electricity usage from the last 12 months.
• Deposit and late-payment charge waivers for income-eligible customers, along with the return of any current deposit.
• High-usage alerts, which enable customers to receive alerts when 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.
• Catch Up and Save is a two-part program that provides monthly credits to an eligible customer’s bill to eliminate past-due balances, as well as a free, energy-savings kit – which includes home products designed to help lower home energy use while supplies last – to help families save on future energy bills.
• Fresh Start Services provides customers with both online and person-to-person support on options available to manage bills and energy use. This program also introduces customers to tools that will alert them when their energy use is trending higher than usual and help them be aware of financial-assistance options for which they may be eligible.
• Credit Empowerment provides one-on-one support to help individuals improve their credit scores. In collaboration with Working Credit, the program provides an overview of how the credit system works, helps participants create a personalized credit action plan to help them improve their specific credit situation, and provides information on ComEd energy-efficiency offerings to the customer that will help the customer manage their energy use and energy bills.

To help customers manage energy usage and lower future bills, ComEd’s energy efficiency program includes services and incentives to help income-eligible residential customers reduce energy use now and in the long term. Since 2008, the award-winning ComEd Energy Efficiency Program has helped hundreds of thousands of customers save a total of $9 billion on their energy bills, as well as a total of 82 million megawatt-hours of electricity. This is enough energy to power more than 9.5 million ComEd customers’ homes for one year.

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, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240605008895/en/

ComEd Media Relations

312-394-3500

Source: ComEd

FAQ

What bill-assistance programs does ComEd offer in summer 2024?

ComEd offers LIHEAP, payment arrangements, due date extensions, budget billing, and deposit and late-payment charge waivers.

What is the Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) tool by ComEd?

The SAM tool is an online self-service tool that matches customers with programs to help manage electric bills.

How can customers save on future energy bills with ComEd?

Customers can use high-usage alerts, energy-management tips, and participate in the Catch Up and Save program.

What is the Catch Up and Save program from ComEd?

The Catch Up and Save program provides bill credits and energy-saving kits to help eliminate past-due balances and lower future energy bills.

How has ComEd's energy efficiency program impacted customers?

Since 2008, the program has saved customers $9 billion and 82 million megawatt-hours of electricity.

Who can benefit from the Fresh Start Services and Credit Empowerment programs?

These programs offer support for managing bills and improving credit, benefiting income-eligible customers.