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Customer Stories

​Learn how BGE customers are saving energy and money with BGE Smart Energy Rewards®.

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  • Healey, Seamus and Yenny

    Crofton

    The Smart Meter Makes It Possible.

    Once we got the smart meter installed at our home, we had access to new online features available through My Account that help us understand our energy use. The "My Energy Use" tab of My Account gave us simple and understandable analytics about our home energy usage, compared our energy usage to our neighbors, and gave us customized energy saving tips specifically for our home. With the BGE Smart Energy Rewards® program, we received a text message the evening before an Energy Savings Day.  The next day, we unplugged electronic devices, turned up the A/C temperature and reduced electricity usage to save even more than we did during the previous Energy Savings Day. We made it a competition to try to save more and more each time.
    We like getting the email report the day after every Energy Savings Day because it shows us how much we saved. The report has good metrics and a savings chart that shows us where we’re making progress. It’s easy to read and helps us save more energy.

    Healey, Seamus and Yenny's Energy Savings Day tips:
    • Make sure BGE has your up-to-date contact information so you receive the notification before the Energy Savings Day.
    • Use the online tools available through My Account to track your energy use and utilize the customized energy saving tips for your home.
    • If you’re not using computers or electronics, turn them off and unplug them. You’d be surprised how much energy you’ll save.
    • Make it a family competition in your home to try to save more on every Energy Savings Day.

  • Mike

    Columbia

    Two ways to save!
    Enrolling in PeakRewardsSM Air Conditioning (A/C) program and participating in BGE Smart Energy Rewards® is the best of both worlds.
     
    With PeakRewards, I was guaranteed a bill credit for allowing BGE to cycle my A/C on Energy Savings Days. I never really even noticed the difference in the temperature in my house. But here’s the thing—I could override the cycling anytime I wanted to and I still earned my bill credits. It was only during emergency cycling events that I couldn’t override cycling.
     
    With my guaranteed bill credits, I could then try to save even more with BGE Smart Energy Rewards. That is not required, it's voluntary. I adjusted the thermostat even higher and avoided using appliances on Energy Savings Days.
     
    Mike’s Energy Savings Day tips:
    • Enroll in the PeakRewards A/C program and participate in BGE Smart Energy Rewards too.
    • Track your savings on your bill and online. BGE shows your savings, which helps when planning for the next Energy Savings Day.
    • If you aren't at home during an Energy Savings Day, make sure you are take pets into consideration while adjusting the thermostat.

  • Nancy & Jim

    Millersville

    Savings that are easy to see.
    If my husband and I are going to save energy to save money, we want to see that it’s actually working. That’s a big reason why we like BGE Smart Energy Rewards®. It’s an easy program to take part in and BGE calls us with our results the next day. BGE also makes it  clear on the bill how much we saved. You see your energy savings and credit, and then you see it subtracted from the bottom line.  I like that. I like that a lot!
     
    We also like the comparison reports that come by mail that tell us the amount of energy we’ve used and compare our savings with other people’s savings. It makes us want to save even more energy. To us, it seems like a win-win situation.
     
    Nancy and Jim’s Energy Savings Day tips:
    • If you are retired, like we are, or have a flexible schedule, schedule laundry and dishwasher cycles outside of the time period.
    • Apply the same energy-saving measures you use during Energy Savings Days on other days to help further reduce your bill.
    • With comparisons of energy savings with neighbors, you can make it a competition. It makes you want to save more.
    • There’s plenty of time before 1 pm and after 7pm to do the things you need to do that require a lot of electricity. 

    ​

  • Dan & Coleen

    Ellicott City

    Power down. Savings up!

    BGE Smart Energy Rewards® is easy.  We were notified of an upcoming Energy Savings Day by email and we also received a phone call, which helped us prepare. With the day-ahead notice for an Energy Savings Day, we knew exactly what to do the next day to save extra money.  We were already saving money with the PeakRewardsSM program so we focused on doing additional things around to save even more. We turned off appliances and gadgets—even our cable box, and avoided appliances that produce heat, like the oven.

    We saved money, but we also did our part in reducing the overall demand for electricity. For us, the best part about this program is that it helps save energy, reduces the need for more power plants and is therefore better for the environment.

    Dan and Coleen’s Energy Savings Day tips:

    • If you have a pool, turn the pool pump off during the day and program it to run at night.
    • Pre-cool your house in the morning and then pull the shades down on the sunny side of the house during the Energy Savings Day to keep the house cool.
    • On Energy Savings Days, avoid using your oven. Grill outside and enjoy the summer weather.
    • Enroll in the PeakRewards program, which allows BGE to install a PeakRewards device in your home in exchange for bill credits during the summer. On an Energy Savings Day, BGE cycles your air conditioning, which contributes to your overall savings. If your BGE Smart Energy Rewards credit is higher than your  PeakRewards summer bill credit, you receive the greater of the two.

  • Gary

    Ellicott City

    Money that Matters!
    BGE sent us a direct mail about BGE Smart Energy Rewards®. You read these things and don’t really know what to expect, but my wife and I thought we’d give it a try.  We did a number of things to cut back on energy usage. We raised our thermostat and spent the afternoon out of the house on Energy Savings Days. Turns out we saved $90 that we wouldn’t have normally—which really helps.
     
    Another thing I like is that it’s really up to you how much you want to save. You can save a lot if you get serious about it or it might not be convenient for you. For instance, if we were having friends over during an Energy Savings Day, we decide not to reduce our electricity use and there’s no penalty. We’re looking forward to saving even more next summer!
     
    Gary’s Energy Savings Day tips:
    • Look for energy-saving investments. Install an attic fan and other energy efficient improvements if you can.
    • Remind  friends and family about Energy Savings Days. We can reduce the overall electricity demand if everyone does their part.
    • Keep the house a little warmer, close off rooms where you might not need A/C and get out of the house when possible.​

  • Chris, Heather, Fiona & Riordan

    Severn

    Raise your thermostat and save.
    During Energy Savings Days, we know that adjusting the thermostat up is the best way to save since air conditioning generally uses the most electricity in the home. We don’t feel a huge change in temperature, but we still try to plan our day away from the house. During the hot time of the day, it’s nice to go to the pool, movies or simply find activities that we could do outside.
     
    When we’re home, the kids play in cooler areas of the house during the day, and by evening the house is cool for sleeping.
     
    Chris and Heather’s Energy Savings Day Tips:
    • Turn your thermostat up a few degrees, which really helps save energy and money.
    • If you have timers, run your dishwasher after you go to bed.
    • Avoid doing laundry during the Energy Savings Day.
    • Find outside activities or have your kids play in cooler areas of the house, like the basement.​

  • Ellen

    Columbia

    ​Savings and reliability.

    It’s a great thing for all of us to reduce electricity use whenever we can—especially when everyone else is using it during the summer months. I’d rather do without for a little bit than lose electricity totally because everybody is using a lot at the same time.

    BGE Smart Energy Rewards® is an easy program to understand. You don’t have to enroll in the program or really change your lifestyle at all. You just have to save energy, and that also helps you save money. It’s that easy!
     
    Ellen’s Energy Savings Day Tips:
    • Enroll in the PeakRewardsSM A/C program. You don’t even notice a difference in your home temperature or comfort on Energy Savings Days. Also, you receive automatic bill credits just for being part of the program. Earn even more with BGE Smart Energy.
    • Avoid using appliances from 1 pm — 7 pm. Do activities with high-energy using appliances in the morning or in the evening.
    • Go around and turn off the lights. Even during the day, you’d be surprised that some are left on unnecessarily.

  • Stephanie

    Laurel

    Everyone can save.
    I was able to save money with BGE Smart Energy Rewards®. I controlled just how much I saved, even in an apartment. I’m not usually home during afternoons, so I just adjusted the thermostat in the morning before I left and made sure things were unplugged on Energy Savings Day. To be able to save $6 here, $8 there can make a $60 bill a lot less. After the first Energy Savings Day, I was hoping BGE would call me and let me know another one was on the way so I could save again!
     
    If a BGE customer has not taken part in BGE Smart Energy Rewards, they should try to actively participate because it’s simple savings without any enrollment, sign-up or commitment. You don’t really have to do much to save a lot and you see that it really pays off when you get your bill. I would definitely recommend it!
     
    Stephanie’s Energy Savings Day tips:
    • If you are out of the house during the day, set your thermostat a few degrees higher for savings, but keep pets in mind.
    • Set your preferences at BGE.COM to make sure that you know in advance about an Energy Savings Day. 
    • Take shorter showers and avoid using hot water unless necessary between 1 pm — 7 pm.
    • Use BGE Smart Energy Manager to track your energy goals and see what times of the day you’re using the most energy.

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