Tips for Conserving Electricity

Demand for electricity is expected to increase as the extremely cold weather lingers for the next several days. Customers are encouraged to conserve electricity, if health permits – especially from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Customers can take these simple electricity conservation steps:

• Set thermostats lower than usual, if health permits.
• Turn off electric lights and appliances that you do not need or are not using.
• Gather in a central room where you have alternative heat. At night, cover windows with drapes or blankets to minimize heat loss. During the day, open blinds to let sun warm the space.
• Keep draperies and shades open during the day to let the sunshine in; close them at night.
• Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.

You can also view our Helpful Ways to Save brochure for more conservation tips.

Ten Ways to Keep Your Home Cool and Save Energy

More than half of home energy use goes to space cooling and heating. Here are a few tips to maximize your home’s cooling system while saving money and energy.

1. Install a whole-house ventilating fan in your attic or in an upstairs window to help air circulate in your home. Although not a replacement for a central air conditioning system, a fan is an effective way to stay comfortable on milder days. Remember to cover and insulate it during the winter to prevent heat loss.
2. Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn your air conditioner on. It will not cool faster, but it will cool to a lower temperature than you need and use more energy.
3. Consider using a ceiling fan with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air to other rooms. But be sure the air conditioner is large enough to help cool the additional space.
4. Keep lamps or television sets away from the thermostat. Heat from these appliances is sensed by the thermostat and could cause your system to run longer than necessary.
5. Keep lights low or off when not needed. Electric lights generate heat and add to the load on your air conditioner.
6. Plant shade trees strategically around your home. Properly selected and planted shade trees can save up to $80 annually on the average electric bill.
7. Use window or whole house ventilating fans to cool your home.
8. Use vents and exhaust fans to pull heat and moisture from the attic, kitchen, bath and laundry directly to the outside, if you don’t have air conditioning.
9. Enroll in Energy Wise Rewards to take more control over your energy usage and save money on energy costs.

You can also read our “Helpful Ways to Save” brochure for more tips on saving money and energy.

Learn About Pepco’s Energy Wise Rewards Program

Pepco’s Energy Wise Rewards program is a new, voluntary program that helps decrease electricity consumption during peak energy use periods and saves you money. This program has been successful in Maryland and is now available to residents in the District of Columbia.

By allowing Pepco to remotely cycle off the compressor on your home’s central air conditioning and heat pump during specific peak-usage time periods, electricity consumption is reduced. In exchange, participating customers are rewarded financially with incentive payments off their Pepco bill. You save energy and money. It also reduces the strain on the electric grid during times of peak usage, such as heat waves.

Pepco contractors will be in your neighborhood visiting customers door-to-door providing more information on the program. Contractors wear Pepco Energy Wise Rewards insignias on their shirt and provide identification to customers so that they are easily recognizable to the public. In addition, our representatives will offer their business cards upon request.

We understand that there may be various vendors canvassing your community. However, Pepco Energy Wise Rewards Contractors will never ask you to provide them with a copy of your Pepco bill.

Your safety is very important to us!

If for any reason there is question or concern with anyone at your door, please ask them to show you their identification.

For more information, please visit pepco.com/rewards or call 1-866-353-5798.

Maryland customers: Save money this weekend by combining Maryland’s Tax-Free Weekend with Pepco Rebates to Save on New ENERGY STAR® Appliances

During Maryland’s Tax Free Weekend, February 16-18, residential customers in Maryland have a unique opportunity to save energy and money by purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances.

This weekend, customers will not have to pay Maryland’s 6 percent sales tax when they purchase select ENERGY STAR certified products such as standard size refrigerators, clothes washers, room air conditioners, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. To save even more, we encourage Maryland residential customers to combine these tax savings with Presidents Day sales and Pepco rebates on select energy efficient appliances.

Participating in Pepco’s Appliance Rebate Program is easy: simply purchase ENERGY STAR appliances at any retailer, and then print and submit one of the relevant rebate applications below for each qualified appliance.

Save $50–$100 on ENERGY STAR Certified Clothes Washers

Save $25 on ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifiers

Save $350 on ENERGY STAR Certified Electric Heat Pump Water Heaters

Save $25 on Energy-Efficient Electric Water Heaters

Save $75 on ENERGY STAR Certified Freezers

Save $100–$150 on ENERGY STAR Certified Refrigerators

Save $25 on ENERGY STAR Certified Room Air Conditioners

The Appliance Rebate Program is part of Pepco’s portfolio of energy efficiency programs that are designed to support Governor Martin O’Malley’s EmPOWER Maryland initiative to reduce energy consumption in the state by 15 percent by the year 2015.

Energy Wise Rewards Makes Saving Money Convenient

Here’s a good idea. Turn down your thermostat a few degrees when you’re away from home to help reduce energy costs this winter.

Here’s a better idea. Use a programmable thermostat to decrease the temperature automatically and conveniently when away. Not only will you save money on your energy bill, but your home will be cozy when you return.

Don’t have a programmable thermostat? Sign up for our Energy Wise Rewards program and we’ll install a web-enabled one at no charge.

Setting a programmable thermostat to fit your schedule can save you up 10 percent on heating and cooling costs year-round. We’ll even give you credits on your energy bill for participating in the program.

If you forget to set it, you can always program your web-programmable thermostat remotely online through our My Account page at pepco.com.

Learn more and sign up at pepco.com/rewards.

We Can Help with High Winter Bills

With winter weather here, some customers may be experiencing high energy bills. That’s because colder temperatures cause heating systems to work harder and use more energy.

For those customers who have a heat pump, that unit’s resistance heater switches on when temperatures dip below about 32 degrees. When that happens, efficiency declines and costs increase.

At Pepco, we understand that high winter bills can be a concern. If you’re having difficulty making a payment, call us at 202-833-7500 before your bill gets unmanageable.

We can discuss alternative payment plans such as our Budget Billing program that allows you to make a fixed monthly payment and avoid cost spikes. We also can direct you to government assistance programs that offer help to eligible customers based on income guidelines.

And don’t forget to visit pepco.com to sign up for My Account, our online tool that can offer ways to manage energy use.

Felecia Greer
Customer Advocate