​Helpful information on how BGE customers can save energy, stay safe and shop wisely

BALTIMORE (November 22, 2017) – The holidays are a great time for cheer, fun gatherings and decking the halls. BGE offers customers tips to help them save and stay safe during the holidays.

Save Energy … Don't let energy-wasting grinches steal your energy.

• Light up your home or business for the holidays by using energy efficient ENERGY STAR certified decorative light strings. They use up to 75 percent less energy than conventional incandescent lights strands and are also cool to the touch.
• Power down all decorative lights when going to bed or leaving the house.

Stay Safe … Follow these tips to light up your home safely.

• Be aware of all the power lines when decorating outdoors. Never work near overhead power lines or anywhere there is a possibility of contacting an overhead power line – either directly or indirectly – with a ladder or other piece of equipment.
• Do not string lights on outdoor trees that are growing near or into power lines.
• Ensure decorative lights used outside are approved for outdoor use.
• Hang outdoor lights with insulated staples or hooks instead of nails or tacks.
• Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for the number of light strands than can be safely connected together.

Shop Wisely … Save big with appliance rebates on Black Friday!

Black Friday has always been a good time to upgrade appliances, and rebates available through the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program® make it the perfect time! When you choose the high-efficiency ENERGY STAR certified appliances, you can get $50 to $500 in rebates on select clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators, heat pump water heaters and more. Plus, for a limited time, you can save $550 on ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters.

Why upgrade to ENERGY STAR models?

• Energy Efficiency: They use 50 percent less energy than standard models.
• Cost Savings: Improved energy efficiency means you can save on electricity costs year after year.
• Rebates: Select models qualify for rebates that will save you even more on your purchase price.

Save big this Black Friday. Click here for more details.

The BGE Smart Energy Savers Program is a suite of programs that enable customers to control energy use, leading to more efficient use of electricity and lowering energy bills. The programs have provided $464 million in rebates to BGE customers and have also helped nearly 1.9 million residential and business participants save more than 2.8 million MWh of electricity. Collectively, the programs help contain the cost of energy and improve reliability by reducing peak demand and slowing the growth in energy consumption. Energy-saving solutions are available to renters, homeowners, large and small business customers, nonprofits and institutional customers. More information can be found at BGESmartEnergy.com. These programs support the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act.

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. Headquartered in Baltimore, BGE delivers 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. 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.