BGE asks its customers to conserve energy during the Energy Savings Day that will be in effect on Friday, July 19, between the hours of 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. This is the second Energy Savings Day event this week, 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 customers with a smart meter installed at their home can participate in the Energy Savings Day 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. During Energy Savings Days, customers that participate in the PeakRewards℠ 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. For customers that have a smart meter and also participate in PeakRewards, the energy saved by automatically cycling their air conditioner on Energy Savings Days contributes to the overall energy savings that makes up the BGE Smart Energy Rewards bill credit. For more information, visit the Energy Savings Day page.
Customers eligible to participate in the BGE Smart Energy Rewards program will be notified usually the day before an Energy Savings Day occurs. These notifications help customers plan ahead to ensure they have time to shift or reduce electricity use on the Energy Savings Day. To ensure customers receive Energy Savings Day notifications, they should update their contact information and methods of communication, including phone, email, or text, by visiting the My Notifications page. BGE will also keep customers updated on BGE.com.
BGE recommends that customers consider the following tips to help save energy and stay comfortable during the Energy Savings Day:
- Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water
- Plan an outing to stay cool – 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, microwave or toaster oven instead of your stove or conventional oven
- Minimize appliance use – appliances can account for over 20% of your summer energy use and can warm up homes
- Close shades and blinds – sunlight passing through windows heats your home and makes your AC work harder
- Turn ceiling fans on with blades rotating counterclockwise
For more ways to save, customers can visit the Energy Savings Day Tips page. 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.
BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation’s first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility. The company’s approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. In the J.D. Power 2017 and 2018 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study SM BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Electric Service in the East among Large Utilities. In addition, in the J.D. Power 2018 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study SM BGE received Best in Customer Satisfaction with Business Natural Gas Service in the East. 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, Instagram, YouTube and Flickr.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (or “BGE”) received the highest score in the East Large segment of the 2018 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study and the East Region of the 2018 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study of electric and gas utility customer satisfaction among business customers. Visit jdpower.com/awards.