ComEd today announced “Powering People” – a series of initiatives in a broader assistance effort to help protect customers against fraud, offer more transparency around competitive energy choices and provide assistance to the most vulnerable customers.

“Everyone – regardless of their background or status – should enjoy reliable, affordable and secure energy,” said Joe Dominguez, CEO of ComEd. “We are proud to launch Powering People because customers should never feel vulnerable when it comes to their energy bills. We are eager to empower customers with the information and tools they need to power their lives.”

Powering People’s three pillars will:

  • Inform: Help inform customers on how to spot scammers and other fraud attempts.
  • Empower: Provide customers with increased transparency on their energy bills, including Price to Compare.
  • Assist: Establish additional financial assistance programs for ComEd’s most vulnerable customers.

As part of proposed legislation, ComEd is also poised to contribute an additional $100 million to its customer assistance programs over a 10-year period should the legislation pass.

Inform

ComEd is launching a public awareness campaign to help protect customers from scammers. This initiative will make customers aware of how ComEd does and does not contact customers and give customers tips on what type of behaviors should raise red flags. ComEd will work with community partners to share data on the types of reported scams and inform customers how they can report any kind of fraud.

Empower

ComEd filed a petition with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) today asking the organization to enable ComEd to provide greater transparency around competitive energy options. This will enable ComEd customer service representatives to discuss changes to customer bills, explain the Price to Compare and direct customers to the ICC’s website for more information. It will also enable representatives to share the types of frequently asked questions that may be helpful for anyone considering alternative retail electric suppliers (ARES).

Assist

In the coming months, eligible ComEd customers will soon be able to enroll in a Supplemental Arrearage Program (SARP) – an assistance program that eases the financial stress of paying for power and encourages energy efficiency as the result of timely bill payments. ComEd customers who are at 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and have back payments owed to ComEd will be able to enroll in SARP. ComEd is the first utility in Illinois to offer such a program.

“Unfortunately, it is all too common to have to make difficult choices in order to make ends meet,” said Harold Rice, President and CEO of CEDA. “That’s why we are proud to stand with ComEd as they launch the Powering People initiative. It will not only provide financial assistance for those who need it most, but it will also allow for more transparency around our bills and ensure greater energy security. Asking for help can be difficult, but with Powering People, ComEd is leading the way to make sure the support we need is already there.”

ComEd is prepared to add an additional $100 million to its ComEd CARE program, which provides financial assistance to its most vulnerable customers, as part of proposed legislation should it pass.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), a Fortune 100 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 and YouTube.