New Tool Available to Help Spanish-Speaking ComEd Customers Lower Bills and Energy Use

Rhea-AI Summary

ComEd has launched its Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) tool in Spanish to help Spanish-speaking customers access financial-assistance and energy-management programs. SAM allows users to identify eligible programs based on their household energy usage and billing history. Key offerings include the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), flexible payment arrangements, and energy efficiency options. Additionally, ComEd has eliminated late-payment fees and no longer charges customers for using credit or debit cards for bill payments. This initiative aims to improve support for low-income households.

Positive

• Launch of SAM in Spanish increases accessibility for Spanish-speaking customers.
• No late-payment fees or deposits for low-income customers.
• Flexible payment arrangements of up to 12 months for past-due balances.
• Energy efficiency programs can help reduce long-term energy use.

Negative

• None.

Online resource customizes list of financial-assistance and energy-efficiency offerings for eligible customers

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To support Spanish-speaking customers in identifying the bill-assistance and energy-management support they may need, ComEd has made its Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) available in Spanish.

SAM is an online self-service tool that helps families and individuals more easily access financial-assistance and energy-savings options that are available to them, based on their 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 a list of eligible programs more tailored to their needs.

“ComEd remains committed to enabling all customers access their account information anywhere and on their own time – especially the assistance they need to keep the lights on at their homes and businesses,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd's chief customer officer and senior vice president of customer operations. “Offering our SAM tool in Spanish helps to remove the language barrier that will help our Spanish-speaking customers access information in the language with which they are most comfortable.”

SAM matches customers with the payment-assistance programs they may be eligible for – including deferred-payment arrangements and financial-assistance options like Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – then provides guidance and links to apply. SAM also provides ways to control energy costs through energy-efficiency offerings, including free home energy assessments and discounts on energy-saving products.

Customers interested in accessing this free tool can visit es.ComEd.com/SAM.

Assistance Options Available through SAM

• Financial-assistance programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and ComEd’s Supplemental Arrearage Reduction Program (SARP), which is available to ComEd residential customers who qualified to receive energy-assistance benefits from LIHEAP.
• A flexible deferred payment arrangement of up to 12 months for eligible residential customers with a past-due balance. Make a down payment on the amount owed, and the balance is paid through installments in addition to your regular monthly bill.
• Budget billing, which provides a predictable monthly payment based on your electricity usage from the last 12 months.
• Flexible payment options like extensions on a customer’s due date by 21 calendar days.
• 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.
• Energy-efficiency offerings, including services and incentives designed for income-eligible residential customers, that can help reduce energy use now and in the long term.

To further support eligible, low-income residential customers struggling to pay their electric bills, ComEd no longer assesses late-payment fees or deposits. The energy company also no longer assesses additional fees for any customers when they use a credit card, debit card, or electronic check when paying their ComEd bills month to month. And, to offer more convenience, all customers can pay their ComEd bill with PayPal. More information on each of these options is available at ComEd.com/Pay.

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 es.ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027005265/en/

ComEd Media Relations

312-394-3500

Source: ComEd

FAQ

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

The Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) is an online self-service tool that helps customers identify financial assistance and energy savings options based on their household information.

How does SAM support low-income customers?

SAM offers programs like LIHEAP, flexible payment options, and energy efficiency offerings to assist low-income customers in managing their energy costs.

When was the Spanish version of SAM launched?

The Spanish version of the Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) was announced on a recent date, enhancing support for Spanish-speaking customers.

What assistance options does ComEd provide through SAM?

ComEd provides payment-assistance programs, deferred payment arrangements, budget billing, and energy management tips through SAM.

Is there a fee for using credit or debit cards to pay ComEd bills?

No, ComEd has eliminated fees for customers using credit or debit cards for monthly bill payments.