BGE announces Energy Savings Day for July 21

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Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) asks its customers to conserve energy during the Energy Savings Day that will be in effect on Tuesday, July 21, 2015, between the hours of 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. 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 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 Energy Savings Day. During Energy Savings Days, customers that participate in both BGE Smart Energy Rewards and 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. 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 bill credit. For more information, visit bge.com/TwoWaystoSave.

BGE Smart Energy Rewards eligible customers will be notified, usually the day before an Energy Savings Day, by phone and email or through an opt-in text notification. 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 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.

· 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.

· 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.

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.