Add Energy Savings to Your Summer Vacation Checklist

CHICAGO, July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that vacation season has begun, that long-awaited summer getaway is just around the corner. Before heading out the door, ComEd reminds customers to include one last important item on the summer vacation checklist: home energy savings.

"Electronics and appliances such as refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers, TVs and computers account for about 30 percent of the annual energy consumption in a typical home," said Maryl Freestone, ComEd Energy Doctor. Customers should also consider ways they can minimize energy usage during their vacation this summer and save money on the next electricity bill.

ComEd encourages customers to budget a few minutes during final vacation preparations to make sure electricity is efficiently used while away by following a few easy tips:

• Check the refrigerator and set the temperature to 38 degrees. If you are going on a longer vacation, unplug the refrigerator, remove all contents, clean the inside and prop open the freezer and refrigerator doors.
• Turn the lights off while you're away. If home security is a concern, set a few lights on a timer or have a trusted friend periodically check your home. For longer-term savings, replace traditional incandescent bulbs with energy saving CFLs to save more than $40 in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
• Unplug equipment that doesn't need to stay on, including computers and TVs. Electronic equipment and cords plugged into active outlets consume electricity even when not in use. Approximately 40 percent of electricity used to power consumer electronics is used when they are turned off.
• Set your home thermostat at a higher temperature. Switching your home thermostat to 80 degrees instead of turning it off completely keeps home humidity levels lower and prevents mold and mildew.
• Close your shades and curtains. Doing this helps to prevent adding heat to your home, stabilizes your home temperature and reduces electricity usage for home cooling.

For more energy saving tips, please visit www.ComEd.com to learn more about ComEd's Smart Ideas portfolio featuring programs and incentives for energy efficiency.

Saving energy during a summer vacation is the latest in ComEd's 12 Ways to Green campaign, which aims to educate customers about ways to save money and reduce their carbon footprints. This campaign is a component of Exelon 2020, a comprehensive environmental strategy to reduce, offset, or displace more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020 among ComEd's parent company, Exelon, its subsidiaries, and customers.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. 

SOURCE ComEd

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