Results Exceed ComEd Expectations Six Months After Launch of ‘Smart Ideas for Your Home’ Energy Efficiency Program

CHICAGO, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ — ComEd today announced that its customers
already are on track to save more than $44 million in energy costs in the
first program year from recycling more than 5,000 refrigerators, freezers and
window air conditioner units and purchasing more than 1.8 million ENERGY
STAR(R) qualified compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs since the launch of
the company’s Smart Ideas program just six months ago.

ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Home program promotes energy efficiency by
providing residential customers with opportunities to manage their energy
usage, save money and help the environment. ComEd’s goal is to collect and
recycle nearly 60,000 appliances and to change more than 11 million
incandescent bulbs to CFLs in the next three years.

“ComEd is committed to providing reliable service and helping our
customers make smart energy choices through programs that make a real
difference,” said Val R. Jensen, vice president, Marketing and Environmental
Programs, ComEd. “These incentives are encouraging people to integrate
environmentally-friendly actions into their everyday lives to conserve energy
and save money.”

Smart Ideas makes energy efficiency easily accessible, and the cost-
savings can be substantial. CFL bulbs use up to 75 percent less electricity
than equivalent incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing
one 60-watt incandescent bulb with a comparable CFL can save up to $44 over
the lifetime of the bulb. In addition, more energy efficient appliance models
could use up to five times less electricity than an older model, which can
consume nearly $150 in energy each year.

Moreover, the results extend far beyond one’s own household. According to
the U.S. Department of Energy, if every home replaced the five most frequently
used light bulbs with CFL bulbs, Americans would save close to $8 billion each
year in energy costs and would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to
nearly 10 million cars.

ComEd encourages all customers to properly dispose of burned out or broken
CFLs to prevent the release of mercury into the environment. According to the
EPA, small amount of mercury is an essential component of CFLs and is what
allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. No mercury is released when
the bulbs are intact or in use. The amount of mercury sealed within the glass
tubing is about 4 milligrams, or roughly the equivalent amount that would
cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. In comparison, older thermometers contain
about 500 milligrams of mercury or about the amount in 100 CFLs.

ComEd encourages all customers to take advantage of local recycling
options for CFL disposal:

— ComEd has partnered with participating Ace Hardware and The Home Depot
stores to offer recycling services.

— Contact http://www.earth911.org to view other drop off locations by
ZIP code.

Currently, through ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Home energy efficiency
programs, customers can purchase select CFLs at a discount at participating
retailers such as Ace Hardware, Costco*, The Home Depot, Jewel-Osco, Lowe’s,
Menards, Sam’s Club*, and True Value, while supplies last. Customers can
receive a $25 cash rebate to recycle their working second refrigerator or
freezer. Window air conditioners also can be collected for recycling at the
time of the scheduled pick-up of a customer’s refrigerator or freezer. For
more information on Smart Ideas, visit http://www.comedsmartideas.com. For a
complete list of participating retailers offering discounts on CFLs, visit
http://www.ComEd.com or call (888) 806-2273.

ComEd’s Smart Ideas portfolio of energy efficiency programs are funded by
ComEd customers and support Exelon 2020, a comprehensive strategy announced
earlier this year by Exelon, ComEd’s parent company, to reduce, offset or
displace more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emitted by its
family of companies and customers.

For more information on ComEd’s Smart Ideas energy efficiency programs,
please visit http://www.ComEd.com. To participate in the appliance recycling
program and to schedule a pick-up of old unit(s), call 1-888-806-2273.

*Members only

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon
Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with
approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately
3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s
population.

SOURCE ComEd