SMART UTILITY SERVICES

Why pay more than needed for your electricity use?

Ameren Illinois and ComEd offer several programs that can significantly reduce your monthly bill

REAL-TIME OR HOURLY PRICING PROGRAMS

Purchase electricity at the wholesale market price

Electricity prices are highest during peak hours of demand which are roughly from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. during weekdays. Electricity prices then drop with demand at night and on weekends and are the lowest between the hours of 9 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Customers who switch from fixed-rate pricing and enroll in these variable rate programs can save as much as 15% on their monthly electricity bills by operating major appliances such as washers, dryers, and dishwashers during off-peak hours when hourly prices are the lowest.

Customers enrolled in these programs also receive pricing alerts that notify them when hourly prices are expected to be higher than usual due to predicted excessive weather events.

These programs are not recommended for individuals who are dependent on electronic medical equipment as their continuous operation would cost more than it would on a fixed-rate pricing program.

PEAK TIME SAVINGS OR REWARD PROGRAMS

Utility bill credits for reducing your energy consumption during summer peak use

These particular time periods or “Events” typically fall between 9am and 5pm during the months of June, July, August and September when air conditioning is in high demand.

Customers enrolled in these programs are notified by phone, text or email the day before a predicted event occurs and as long as they reduce their energy usage below their usual level of use for a similar period of time on a non-event day (the baseline) they receive a credit on their electricity bill. These credits are calculated at a rate of $1 per kilowatt hour of energy reduced from the baseline for that time period.

CONNECTED DEVICE OR HOME AREA NETWORK PROGRAMS

Real-time energy consumption and cost information to manage your use

At the present time, most devices equipped with the wireless communication protocol, or language that allows them to communicate with the smart meter, are in-home displays, gateways (a device that sends smart meter data to a display), smart thermostats and range extenders that allow wireless devices to operate beyond the 50’ distance limit from the smart meter.

Both Ameren Illinois and ComEd operate connected device services and both maintain a list of smart devices that are compatible with their smart meters. Their lists can be found on their websites through the links provided below and should be consulted before purchasing a product designed to use smart meter data.

hand twists the button to set saving mode

Smart devices such as in-home displays connected to your smart meter provide you access to near real-time information on your electricity consumption and costs which make you a more informed consumer and enable you to more cost-effectively manage your monthly electric bills.

ONLINE CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS

Ameren Illinois and ComEd offer you opportunities to:

Track hourly, daily, and monthly energy consumption
Establish a home energy profile and customize an energy efficiency plan
Set-up phone, text, and email alerts of price changes and weather events
Investigate a variety of energy efficiency strategies and tools
Enroll in the programs described above

TRADITIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS

Increase the efficiency of your energy use to reduce monthly utility bills

These include: home energy assessments, energy efficiency product rebates and discounts, free used appliance pick-up and recycling services, free weatherization services, and income-eligible programs offering no-cost energy efficient products and installation services.