February 8, 2013

Mayor Emanuel Announces City Electricity Customers Enrolled Earlier Than Expected, Resulting in Millions More in Savings for Residents and Small Businesses

Expedited transfer process completed two weeks ahead of schedule, resulting in $10.2 million in additional savings for customers

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that Integrys Energy Services, the electricity supplier selected as part of the City’s open and competitive bidding process, has successfully switched over 800,000 households from Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) two weeks ahead of schedule.  By successfully expediting the switching process, the City and Integrys delivered an additional $10.2 million in savings for residents and small businesses. 

"Not only did we secure an agreement that will put money back into the pockets of Chicago families and small businesses, we are ahead of schedule with enrollment so they will start seeing those savings in their electricity bills a full two weeks earlier,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This additional $10.2 million in savings means more money in the pockets of Chicagoans.”

Due to the expedited enrollment process, Integrys and the City switched nearly 400,000 accounts from ComEd ahead of schedule, ensuring that these residents and small businesses will begin seeing savings on their bills in March instead of April.  Less than ten percent of eligible customers opted out of the City’s aggregation program, a rate on par with other Illinois municipalities.  Starting in early March, all residential households and small businesses will save roughly 22 percent off their first bills, with the average single-family household saving a total of $145 to $175 over the first 15 months of the City’s program.

In addition, Integrys and the City of Chicago want to remind residents that at no point will representatives from the City or Integrys ever come to their doors or ask them for their account information to switch to a new supplier. Residents have reported being called by someone identifying themselves as a “representative of ComEd” asking them to enter personal information online to enroll them into the Integrys program. The City is urging residents to be alert to such scams and to be cautious about providing solicitors with personal or ComEd account information.  All eligible residents who did not opt out were automatically enrolled in the program.

With the City’s Electricity Aggregation Program, customers will continue to have access to ComEd billing and income assistance programs. Customers on Budget Billing, Deferred Payment, PIPP or LIHEAP programs with ComEd will see no billing changes.

In addition to providing Chicago residents and small business owners with cheaper and cleaner energy, the City's agreement will include a number of key customer service features, including:

•       Customers will be able to exit the program at any time at no cost.

•       Integrys Energy Services will be required to always beat or match the ComEd price.

•       A 24/7 call center with specialists who can speak multiple languages.

 If you have any questions about the aggregation program, please call 888-802-2885.

  

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