All customers with smart meters can receive BGE Smart Energy Rewards® bill credits for reducing electricity usage on the Energy Savings Day

BALTIMORE, Sept. 2, 2015 – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) asks its customers to conserve energy during the Energy Savings Day that will be in effect on Sept. 3, between the hours of 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. BGE typically schedules Energy Savings Days when an increased demand for electricity throughout the mid- Atlantic region is anticipated—typically hot days. The power supply in the region is expected to be sufficient to meet anticipated high demand.

BGE customers with a smart meter installed at their home can participate in the Energy Savings Day by voluntarily reducing their electricity usage to earn a BGE Smart Energy Rewards bill credit of $1.25 for every kilowatt-hour saved from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eligible customers will be notified, usually the day before an Energy Savings Day, by phone and email or through an opt-in text notification. These notifications help customers plan ahead to ensure they have time to shift or reduce electricity use on the Energy Savings Day. To ensure customers receive Energy Savings Day notifications, they should update their contact information by visiting BGE.com/MyAccount. BGE will also keep customers updated on BGE.com and BGE.com/EnergySavingsDay.

BGE recommends that customers consider the following tips to help save energy and stay comfortable during the Energy Savings Day: 

• Raise the thermostat 3 or 4 degrees above the normal setting between 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you don’t plan to be home before 7 p.m., raise your air conditioner temperature even higher for added savings.
• Consider turning some window units off during the Energy Savings Day, if you have them. 
• Use an outdoor grill or microwave instead of the stove or oven. 
•  Avoid using other heat-producing appliances such as dishwashers and clothes dryers. 
•  Draw blinds and curtains in rooms that receive a lot of sunlight. 
• Turn ceiling fan on with blades rotating counter clockwise. 
• Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water. 
• Consider going to a cool place such as a movie theater, mall or pool. 
• Relax in the basement where the temperature is typically several degrees cooler than the rest of the house.

During Energy Savings Days, customers with smart meters that also voluntarily participate in the PeakRewards℠ Air Conditioning program will have their central air conditioner (A/C) automatically cycled up to the 50 percent level, which means their A/C compressors will be off for half of the time they would normally run. The energy saved from automatically cycling PeakRewards participants’ air conditioning on Energy Savings Days contributes to the overall energy savings that make up the BGE Smart Energy Rewards bill credit. For more information, visit BGE.com/TwoWaystoSave.

BGE thanks its customers for participating in the BGE Smart Energy Rewards and PeakRewards programs, which help to reduce peak electric demand and ensure the reliability of the electric delivery system. These programs are a part of the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act’s goal of reducing both per capita energy consumption and per capita peak demand.

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BGE, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,200 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2014 revenues of approximately $27.4 billion. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.