CHICAGO, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As winter approaches, ComEd has taken a number of steps to ensure its electric system is prepared for the coming extreme cold, high winds, heavy ice and snow and the challenges that come with it.
The company has conducted inspections and preventive maintenance work for more than 850 substations and thousands of miles of power lines as part of its ongoing effort to maintain its system and enhance reliability. Over the last 10 years, the company has invested approximately $10 billion to ensure that its system is operating effectively. That investment has yielded results with nearly 40 percent improvement in reliability and fewer outages.
ComEd's winter preparations also include ensuring that field crews are prepared and that their vehicles are adequately stocked with winter materials. In addition, the utility has reinforced safety practices for employees and it has updated procedures for responding to storms, working closely with municipalities to integrate preparation efforts to ensure its ability to address the needs of its customers.
ComEd's also helping customers prepare for the coming cold weather, offering the following tips to manage their energy use, reduce electricity costs and get their homes ready for winter:
- Have home heating systems cleaned and inspected by a professional each year to ensure safety and optimum efficiency.
- Inspect the caulking and weather-stripping around all windows, doors and any openings for utility services. Replace caulking and weather-stripping as necessary.
- Remove window air conditioners if possible, or install an air conditioner cover to eliminate drafts.
- Keep fireplace dampers closed tightly when not in use.
- Reverse the rotation of ceiling fan blades, which should spin clockwise during the winter months, so the warm air that has risen can be re-distributed around the room.
ComEd recognizes that some customers are struggling amid the tough economy and the company offers assistance programs to those who demonstrate a financial hardship, including Residential Special Hardship grants, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) and the CHAMP program for active military personnel or disabled veterans. For more information, customers in Chicago and Cook County can call 1-800-571-2332. More contact information by county is available at www.ComEd.com or by phone at 888-806-CARE (2273).
Commonwealth Edison (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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