Following Aug. 15 end of LIHEAP funding season, customers still have support options

As northern Illinois continues to experience hotter-than-normal summer temperatures, ComEd encourages customers to explore the wide range of programs it offers to help with past-due balances, as well as offerings that can help them manage energy use to save money on future bills. Increased usage this summer and the end of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding season on Aug. 15 make the need for energy assistance more important than ever.

“We know that for many customers, every dollar matters — and a higher electric bill can be stressful, especially in the summer when kids were on break and cooling the home is essential,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd's SVP of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives. “To help with the rise in energy costs this summer, driven in part by hotter-than normal temperatures and rising supply market costs, ComEd is reminding customers to take advantage of bill-support options to help make ends meet. So far this year, these programs have helped connect over 130,000 customers with more than $65 million in relief and we continue to work with state and community partners to reach those in need.”

Rising bills are driven in part by this summer’s severe and prolonged heat, with the region already experiencing nearly 30 days with temperatures at or above 90°F, up from the average summer with just 17 days reaching 90°F. Energy usage has increased by as much as 15 percent in July alone, as customers turn to air conditioning and fans to stay safe and comfortable. What’s more, rising supply charges stemming from the PJM auction reflect the cost of rising demand and fewer available generation resources.

To make it easier for customers to access ComEd support options, the company works with community action agencies across northern Illinois to help connect customers with bill-assistance options that get them back on track.

“At CEDA, we see firsthand how critical energy assistance is for families, especially during extreme weather and with the rise in utility costs,” said Latoya Butler, Vice President of Energy Services at CEDA. “We encourage households to explore ComEd’s bill support programs today and to prepare for the opening of the new LIHEAP season on October 1. Taking action ensures families can stay safe, comfortable, and connected to the resources they need.”

For customers who may need assistance with their bills, regardless of whether they qualified during the current LIHEAP cycle, ComEd encourages them to take advantage of its menu of assistance and energy-savings options.

• ComEd's Supplemental Arrearage Reduction (SARP), which is available to ComEd residential customers who qualify to receive energy-assistance benefits from LIHEAP.
• Catch Up and Save: 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 – while supplies last – to help families save on future energy bills. Each kit includes home products designed to help lower home energy use while improving the efficiency of the home.
• A flexible deferred payment arrangement 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.
• Budget billing, which provides a predictable monthly amount due based on your electricity usage from the last 12 months.
• Flexible payment options like 21-day extensions on a customer's due date.
• High-usage alerts, which let customers know when their usage is trending higher than normal to help manage overall energy use, and energy-management tips to save money now and on future energy bills.
• Community solar allows customers to participate in the benefits of clean solar energy without installing panels on their own homes. Participants subscribe to a solar energy project and earn credits on their monthly utility bills for their portion of the energy produced by the solar project.
• Energy-efficiency offerings, including services and incentives designed for income-eligible residential customers which can help reduce energy use now and in the future.

In anticipation of energy costs rising and the hot weather season, in June, ComEd launched a one-time Customer Relief Fund to support residential and nonprofit customers. Once fully disbursed later this summer, ComEd anticipates the fund will help as many as 20,000 residential and nonprofit customers who are behind in their energy bills. This program acts as a bridge to additional permanent solutions for low-income customers, with the launch of the Low-Income Discount (LID) program next year. LID will enable qualifying income-eligible customers to receive a percentage-based discount on their monthly electric bill determined by income level.

Customers can visit ComEd.com/BillSupport to learn more about and enroll in programs to help them with their current and future energy bills. Additionally, ComEd teams up with community agencies and organizations to host a variety of award-winning resource fairs where customers can connect live, in real-time, with ComEd billing specialists.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving more than 10.7 million electricity and natural gas customers. 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.

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