BGE’s Smart Energy Savers Program® has saved customers more than 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), Equating to $250 million in rebates and incentives, and nearly $2 billion in lifecycle savings for residential and business customers since the program’s inception

BALTIMORE (April 23, 2014) —Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) announced today that, since the inception of the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program®, several significant milestones have been reached. In total, BGE awarded nearly $250 million in rebates and incentives to customers for implementing energy efficiency measures. This has saved BGE customers a total of 1.6 billion kWh since 2008—enough energy to power more than 138,000 homes for one year. The program, which supports the EmPOWER Maryland goal of reducing the state’s per capita energy consumption 15 percent by 2015, consists of a suite of offerings intended to help residential and commercial customers become more energy efficient.

“Our customers have received direct benefits as a result of our BGE Smart Energy Savers Program through rebates, bill credits and other incentives intended to help reduce and control energy use,” said Ruth Kiselewich, BGE director of demand side management programs. “These efforts have had a positive effect on the environment, as we work to reduce energy consumption and keep energy in Maryland clean, green and reliable.”

The BGE Smart Energy Savers Program has achieved the following milestones since its inception in 2008: 

• Sold more than 16.7 million discounted CFL and LED light bulbs at 285 participating retailers through BGE’s Lighting Program, saving Marylanders over 800 million kWh of electricity use, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 560,000 metric tons, which is the same as taking nearly 118,000 cars off Maryland roads. 
• Provided 130,000 Quick Home Energy Check-ups (QHECs), a service that helps customers recognize immediate energy cost savings of approximately $50 a year as well as ideas for taking additional steps to further reduce their home or apartment’s energy use. To date, QHECs have helped BGE customers save 60 million kWh. 
• Completed 6,600 comprehensive whole-house energy audits through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program, improving their home’s energy efficiency, comfort, and safety while helping to reduce their combined energy use by nearly 6 million kWh. 
• Supported the building of over 7,000 high-efficient new homes through BGE’s ENERGY STAR® New Homes Program, saving over 12 million kWh, and providing new homeowners with energy-efficient upgrades that delivered better performance, greater comfort, healthier surroundings, and lower energy bills. 
• Recycled 26,000 inefficient refrigerators, 4,600 freezers, and 1,000 Room A/Cs, ensuring that more than 95 percent of each appliance is recycled and properly disposed of, preventing it from entering a landfill. 
• Installed 60,000 high-efficiency furnaces, central air conditioners and heat pumps in customers’ homes, saving a combined total of almost 40 million kWh. 
• BGE’s Smart Energy Manager® (SEM) Program rolled out to residential customers with smart meters throughout 2013, reaching 450,000 enrollments by year end. The program uses a variety of channels (web, email, text message and paper reports) to help customers understand their energy usage. 
• BGE’s business customers have saved over 625 million kWh thanks to energy upgrades for their facilities and operations – saving them nearly $700 million in annual energy costs, as of Dec. 31, 2013. 
• Total of 365,000 air conditioner and water heater devices in BGE’s Peak RewardsSM Program with 433 MW of peak load reduction capability. In 2013, the program recycled nearly 2,500 thermostats, keeping 20 pounds of mercury from contaminating landfills. 
• BGE Smart Energy Rewards® launched on July 8, 2013 to more than 315,000 customers with smart meters. The program encourages customers to use less electricity during summer peak demand periods called Energy Savings Days. On four separate occasions throughout the summer, BGE notified customers of an Energy Savings Day and they earned $1.25 in bill credits for every kilowatt-hour reduced from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. compared to their typical usage. More than $7 million in bill credits were paid to eligible customers.

In addition to achieving these milestones, BGE’s Smart Energy Savers Program has earned recognition from energy industry leaders and organizations, both in the Baltimore area and nationally. Below is a list of some of BGE’s most recent awards:

• March 2014: This is the 5th year and 7th award the energy efficiency programs have received from ENERGY STAR® including the second year receiving the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award in Energy Efficiency Program Delivery 
• January 2014: Outstanding Achievements in Energy Efficiency, awarded by the Association of Energy Services Professionals; Best Event Marketing Campaign Award and Best PR Campaign from the American Marketing Association, Baltimore Chapter 
• December 2013: “Best in Maryland” and “Award of Excellence” awards from the Public Relations Society of America  December 2013: AESP Energy Award – Outstanding Achievement in Pricing & Demand Response for BGE Smart Energy Rewards® 
• January 2014: BGE's Smart Energy Rewards won the SEE 2014 Industry Excellence Awards for Engaging Customers with an Innovative Peak Time Rebate Program. 
• April 2013: The New Homes Program earned the 2013 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award for the third year in a row. This national award recognizes BGE’s work in promoting energy efficient construction and helping to protect the environment through its partnership with ENERGY STAR. 
• March 2013: BGE’s Smart Energy Savers Program recognized for the fourth year in a row for its commitment to protecting the environment and its focus on providing energy efficiency programs and solutions.

BGE is proud to work with its customers to continue to reach energy efficient milestones in their local communities. BGE customers can go to BGESmartEnergy.com to learn how they can take part in these programs.

About the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program

The BGE Smart Energy Savers Program is a suite of programs that enable customers to better manage energy use, leading to more efficient use of electricity and lowering energy bills from where they otherwise would be. Collectively, the programs help contain the cost of energy and improve reliability. The programs also help to reduce peak demand and slow the growth in energy consumption to lessen the need for more power plants. BGE offers energy-saving solutions for renters, homeowners, large and small business customers, nonprofit organizations and institutional customers. More information is available at BGESmartEnergy.com.

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BGE, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 655,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,400 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of 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 2013 revenues of approximately $24.9 billion. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.