​BALTIMORE (March 23, 2018) – BGE encourages its customers throughout central Maryland to join millions around the world this Saturday, March 24 in celebration of Earth Hour, an annual voluntary environmental action event to raise awareness about climate change. ​

Earth Hour unites energy users in powering down between 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. EST by turning off lights and participating in events which promote environmental conservation.  BGE customers can take a number of steps to save energy and money and help protect the environment year-round through the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program®, including:

• Schedule a Quick Home Energy Check-up at www.BGESmartenergy.com with an energy efficiency professional to evaluate insulation, heating and air cooling systems, lighting, appliances and more;
• Use a programmable thermostat;
• Caulk and weather strip windows and doors;
• Turn lights off when you leave a room;
• Close blinds/shades/drapes in the summer and leave them open in the winter;
• Use energy-efficient appliances: When shopping for appliances such as refrigerators, look for the ENERGY STAR® label, and purchase the most affordable energy efficient unit.

BGE also reminds customers to replace energy-wasting incandescent light bulbs with new LED lightbulbs, which typically use 75-90 percent less energy and last about 25 times longer. Through BGE's Smart Energy Savers Program, customers can receive instant in-store discounts on select ENERGY STAR® certified LED lightbulbs.

BGE's sister utilities, Atlantic City Electric, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco are also participating in recognizing this global event.

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. The company's approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable power delivery to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. J.D. Power's 2017 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study ^SM ranked BGE highest in customer satisfaction with business electric service in the east among large utilities. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $5 billion of output in its service area, supporting more than 9,500 local jobs and producing $923 million in labor income. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube  and Flickr.