You can purchase discounted energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) at select retail stores, including:

Ace Hardware
Best Buy
Costco (members only)
CVS
Do it Best
Food 4 Less
Home Depot
Jewel Osco
Lowe's
Meijer
Menards
Navy Exchange
Sam's Club (members only)
TruValue
Walgreens
Wal-Mart
Weldon Hardware Supply

For specific retailer locations, visit www.comed.com. There is a 12 bulb or 6 fixture limit per purchase, and the discount is available while supplies last. Don't just throw your old refrigerator away! ComEd will pay residential customers $35 to pick up and responsibly dispose of up to two old refrigerators and freezers, and $25 for up to two old window air conditioners. To qualify for the $25 window air conditioner rebate, customers must schedule at least one refrigerator or freezer pick up as well.


To recycle your appliance, schedule a pick-up at 888-806-2273 or enroll online at www.comed.com.

Please note: program funding is limited. Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. If your condo or apartment is served by both ComEd and Nicor Gas, you could qualify to receive upgrades that will save energy, reduce natural gas and electric costs, and help the environment. Trained technicians from Honeywell Utility Solutions or Water and Energy Solutions would install:

For more information, landlords or property managers can call 888-806-2273, and follow prompts 1, 1, 5.

Program funding is limited. Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. ComEd will give you $5 or $10 off your monthly electric bill between June and September for allowing the utility to remotely cycle your central air-conditioner off and on periodically during the hottest days of the year.

Actually, only the compressor gets cycled off. The fan will continue to circulate already cooled air, so you may not even notice a difference in your home. But such programs can make a big difference outside your four walls by reducing electricity demand on hot summer days to prevent power outages, lower rates, and help improve the environment.

You can choose between two cycling options:

To participate in the program, call 888-806-2273 or enroll online at www.comed.com. Although the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has required ComEd to offer Real Time Pricing since 2006, the utility is now promoting it as part of "Smart Ideas" because many customers use less energy under the program. While savings aren't guaranteed, participants have lowered their power bills by up to 16 percent, on average.

How does the program work?
Participants pay wholesale market prices, which fluctuate hourly, instead of the traditional averaged "flat" rate. To save, you must be able to shift high-electricity activities, such as doing laundry or using the dishwasher, from higher-priced, peak-demand hours to lower-priced, off-peak hours.

What are the program benefits?


Who may not benefit from the program?

People who:


What is Load Guard?
Load Guard is an optional program for customers on real-time pricing. It switches your central air conditioner into "conservation mode" for two hours when prices reach a certain high level, which you set. You can change your settings each day, if desired.

For more information on Real-Time Pricing, see CUB's Fact Sheet. For more information or to sign up, visit www.thewattspot.com or call 1-866-WATTSPOT (1-866-928-8776). Beginning in August, homeowners will have an opportunity to receive an assessment of their home's energy use to improve its energy efficiency. Home Energy Savings is an energy efficiency service for residential customers who live in single family homes that are jointly served by ComEd and Nicor Gas.

Home Energy Savings provides an assessment of a single family home's energy use that includes:

Details
The Home Energy Savings assessment will be performed by Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified professionals from Conservation Services Group (CSG), the program implementer.

There is a $99 co-pay to receive the Home Energy Savings assessment. Homeowners in selected communities will be invited to schedule a Home Energy Savings assessment.

The total time for the assessment is approximately two and half hours per home.

During the visit, the technician will perform a detailed assessment of the home to identify changes and upgrades that may further improve the energy efficiency and comfort of the home.

When the assessment is complete, the homeowner will receive a report detailing the energy-saving products installed and summarizing the home's energy consumption. Additionally, the homeowner will receive a proposal for weatherization improvements that qualify for incentives (50 percent of cost up to $1,250) from ComEd and Nicor Gas.

Participate
For more information, call 1-888-806-2273, and follow prompts 1, 1, 6. If you need a new central air-conditioner or work done on your current unit, now is a great time to call a contractor in your area. Through the Smart Ideas program, ComEd has trained local, independent contractors to make efficient improvements that will lower your monthly electricity costs and increase the comfort of your home.

Annual Maintenance
A ComEd Smart Ideas participating independent contractor will perform an annual tune-up on your unit to make sure it is running as efficiently as possible. The contractor will use computerized equipment to analyze your cooling system's performance, and adjust your air conditioner to optimize its energy efficiency, resulting in a cooler, more comfortable home.

New High-Efficiency Models
If you plan on investing in a new central air-conditioning unit, consider using a ComEd Smart Ideas participating independent contractor.

Contractors:
Finding a Contractor
For a list of participating ComEd Smart Ideas contractors,
or for more information, visit www.comed.com or
call 1-888-806-2273.