As temperatures drop, ComEd’s Energy Doctors offer energy-saving tips for cold weather to help families and individuals manage energy use and save money on electric bills – just in time for National Energy Efficiency Day, which is Wednesday, Oct. 5.
“ComEd’s Energy Doctors are experts committed to helping customers – especially those facing economic hardships – reduce their electricity use and save money,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd's chief customer officer and senior vice president of customer operations. “Energy Efficiency Day is the perfect time to remind northern Illinois residents that our experts are on call to help them make simple changes to better manage their energy use and reduce their electric bills.”
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 the 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.
ComEd’s Energy Doctors are a resource for customers who want to keep energy costs low as outside temperatures start to drop. Customers can email questions to the Energy Doctors at energy.doctor@comed.com and receive a response within five business days. Customers can also find an Energy Doctor FAQ at ComEd.com/EnergyDoctor.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Energy Doctors are also available to give interviews and share tips that will help viewers, readers and listeners save money over the cold-weather months.
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 $7 billion on their energy bills since 2008, the energy-efficiency program has helped customers save nearly 65 million megawatt-hours of electricity, which is enough energy to power more than 7.4 million ComEd customers' homes for one year.
To get started, ComEd offers free home energy assessments that assess the interior of a home or unit to find ways to lower energy costs. Since 2014, nearly 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.
