ComEd Urges Customers to Practice Safety Outdoors This Spring

CHICAGO, April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After a long winter, spring has arrived! As Illinoisans welcome the warmer weather, ComEd encourages customers to remain mindful of safety outdoors and to visit ComEd.com for low-cost ways to reduce energy usage and save money.

According to the National Safety Council, homeowners are eleven times safer at work than at home.(1) To prevent accidents or injuries whether you're landscaping, conducting home improvements or enjoying the sun, ComEd offers safety tips for the outdoors and energy efficiency tips inside of the home.

Work Safely Outdoors

• Use extension cords marked for outdoor use.
• Be aware of power lines that run through tree limbs and branches.
• Keep yourself and others away from fallen power lines; always assume a power line is live.
• Always keep people and equipment at least 10 feet away from power lines; never stand ladders near power lines.
• You are required by law to call 811 to locate utility lines before digging regardless of scale, whether it's gardening or installing a pool.
• Contact the proper authorities at least 48 hours before working.
  • Within the Chicago city limits call: DIGGER (the Chicago Utility Alert network) at (312) 744-7000. Outside the Chicago city limits call JULIE (the Joint Utility Location for Excavators) at 1 (800) 892-0123 or visit the website www.illinois1call.com.

ComEd Offers Tips to Prepare for Warmer Weather

• By making a few changes to their homes and electricity use habits, ComEd customers can conserve energy, save money and help the environment as the weather warms up.
• Cool your home to 78 degrees or at the warmest temperature that is comfortable.
• When out of the house or sleeping, use a programmable thermostat to automatically raise the temperature 5 to 10 degrees in the warm weather months.
• Only cool rooms that you are using. Close vents and doors to rooms that are not being used.
• Close curtains facing south, east and west during the day to keep out solar heat.
• Keep windows closed and shades down when using air conditioning.
• For more energy-saving tips or information on energy assistance programs from ComEd, visit www.ComEd.com.

(1) "Bring Safety Home," National Safety Council.

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