PECO offers tips to help customers save energy and money

PHILADELPHIA, PA  (November 14, 2014) – With temperatures not expected to get out of the 30s early this week, PECO reminds customers that there are many things they can do to save energy and money right now.

By taking a few simple steps, customers can save 20-30 percent or more on their monthly energy bill this winter. Here's how:

Immediate Help

• Keep blinds, shades and drapes open on sunny days to take advantage of solar heating.
• Keep heating vents clean with a vacuum or broom and do not cover ducts with drapes or furniture that can block the airflow and possibly cause a fire.
• If you have a fireplace, keep the fireplace damper closed tightly when not in use.
• Set your heating thermostat at 68 degrees or lower during the day, health permitting. Set your thermostat at 55 degrees for the night, or when you will be away for more than four hours.
• Instead of turning the heat up, put on a warm sweater and socks. Keep throw blankets in rooms that you frequent most.
• Use an exhaust fan only when necessary. Exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom pull the hot air that rises to the ceiling out of your home.

Weatherize your home

• Inspect the insulation between heated and unheated areas to ensure insulation is at least six inches thick. Insulation is the single most important energy conservation measure. It will deteriorate over time and occasionally needs to be reinforced. 
• Inspect the caulking or weather stripping around windows, doors and any openings to the outside such as dryer vents. A drafty house lets warm air escape and is much more costly to keep warm – especially on the coldest days of the season.
• Install plastic sheeting for windows if homes do not have storm windows or double pane windows.
• Remove window air conditioners if possible, or install an air conditioner cover to stop drafts.

Warm up your heating system

• Have your furnace professionally inspected every two years. A well-maintained system will last longer, operate better and save you money. 
• Replace the filter for your heat pump or furnace for the new heating season. Dirty filters block airflow and force equipment to work harder -- this increases operating costs and can cause damage.

Customers also can save money on their monthly energy bills by using energy as efficiently as possible and taking advantage of PECO Smart Ideas, the company's suite of energy efficiency programs.  To find even more ways to save energy and money, visit peco.com/smartideas.

To manage energy costs, customers should sign up for budget billing.  Budget billing makes short-term fluctuations in monthly bills much easier to manage by dividing annual energy costs evenly throughout the year.

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Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC).  PECO serves 1.6 million electric and more than 500,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region.  PECO delivered 85.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2013.  Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.  For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.

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