All customers with a smart meter are eligible to participate in the BGE Smart Energy Rewards® program and are encouraged to voluntarily reduce their electricity usage to receive a credit on their next bill

BALTIMORE, July 22, 2014– Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) will launch its first Energy Savings Day of the summer tomorrow, Wednesday, July 23, and asks customers to conserve energy between the hours of 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. to receive a bill credit on their next bill. BGE typically schedules Energy Savings Days when an increased demand for electricity throughout the mid-Atlantic region is anticipated. The power supply in the region is expected to be sufficient to meet anticipated high demand. BGE reminds customers to keep safety in mind and customers should only take energy-saving measures as health permits.

BGE customers with a smart meter installed at their home can participate in the BGE Smart Energy Rewards program by voluntarily reducing their electricity usage to earn a bill credit of $1.25 for every kilowatt-hour saved from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the designated Energy Savings Day. During Energy Savings Days, customers that participate in both BGE Smart Energy Rewards and the PeakRewardsSM 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 summer bill credit. For more information visit BGE.com/TwoWaystoSave.

BGE Smart Energy Rewards eligible customers will be notified, usually the evening before an Energy Savings Day, by an automated phone call and email or customers’ may opt-in for a text notification. These notifications help customers plan ahead to ensure they have time to shift or reduce electricity use between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the Energy Savings Day.

To ensure customers receive Energy Savings Day notifications, they should update their contact information on a mobile device or computer 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. 
• 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. 
• 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.

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 by 15 percent by the end of 2015.

###

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.