COMED
DeKalb County Reaches Energy-Saving Milestone with ComEd, Nicor Gas
Public Housing Authority receives more than $1 million in electric and gas incentives

The ComEd and Nicor Gas energy efficiency programs  announced that the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) earned more than $1.1 million in combined incentives since 2018 through the utilities' joint Multi-Family Energy Savings offering. These significant improvements are expected to reduce the HACD's electric and natural gas utility costs by more than $27,000 annually.

In addition to saving HACD money on its energy bills, the projects are expected to result in more than 1.2 million kWh and over 50,000 therms in energy savings. Combined, these energy savings will help avoid more than 1.5 million pounds of carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of planting 840 acres of trees or removing over 150 cars from the road each year. The energy-saving milestone was recognized during a HACD event with ComEd and Nicor Gas.

"We are thrilled that we have been able to work with the ComEd and Nicor Gas energy efficiency programs to complete these critical energy-saving projects," said Dave Siegel, HACD executive director. "These incentives are key to assisting us with maintaining safe and healthy environments for our residents. ComEd and Nicor Gas have been wonderful partners and our residents have benefitted additionally in the form of reduced utility bills each month."

Contributing more than $900,000 to the incentive total, the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program supported the installation of new heat pumps, refrigerators, outdoor lighting and new common area and tenant unit lighting, which will help each facility and its tenants save money and energy.

"With over $9 billion in customer bill savings earned since 2018, the award-winning ComEd Energy Efficiency Program is helping hundreds of thousands of customers manage their energy use, which saves money, energy and the environment," said Louie Binswanger, senior vice president of government, regulatory and external affairs at ComEd. "We're proud to collaborate with the HADC and Nicor Gas on a series of significant projects that provide savings benefits and affordable housing opportunities to DeKalb County residents."

The Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program contributed more than $200,000 in incentives to the project for new boilers, domestic water heaters, furnace and boiler tune-ups. Since its inception, the program has helped natural gas customers save 229 million therms and provided more than $258 million in rebates and energy savings incentives.

"We are excited to celebrate this milestone with the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb," said Meena Beyers, vice president of Business and Community Development for Nicor Gas. "These improvements will not only help residents live more comfortably, but also save money and energy. The partnership between the utilities demonstrates our combined commitment to support the customers and communities we serve."

These projects are the latest examples of the ComEd and Nicor Gas collaboration that supports the state's shared energy goals, including growing access to programs that help families and businesses manage their energy use while supporting a lower carbon future. The utilities are continuing to collaborate on joint weatherization improvements for HACD that will include air sealing and insulation services.

For more information about the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, visit ComEd.com/HomeSavings for residential customers and ComEd.com/BizSavings for business customers. Nicor Gas customers can visit nicorgas.com/saveathome for residential savings and nicorgas.com/bizsavings for business solutions from the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program.