ComEd Reminds Customers of Bill-Assistance Options During the LIHEAP Application Period

September 28, 2023 at 16:14 PM EDT

Through Aug. 31, ComEd helped connect 167,000 eligible customers to $68 million in grants and other bill assistance

As the state of Illinois prepares to launch the new, three-phase application period for utility-bill assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), ComEd reminds customers that it offers a wide-range of support options for customers of all income levels.

“ComEd and the state of Illinois share a commitment to support families experiencing difficulty in paying their energy bills, and we want to help our customers understand changes to the LIHEAP application process,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd's chief customer officer and senior vice president of customer operations. “To ensure that families most in need of assistance are prioritized in receiving support, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will use a ‘priority-period’ approach to accepting applications. But even as families await the opportunity to apply for LIHEAP grants, ComEd has programs that can support our customers now.”

Each fall, LIHEAP accepts applications for a one-time grant, per program year and with no payback required, until funding is exhausted. This year, to ensure LIHEAP funds are prioritized for customers most in need of financial assistance, eligible customers can apply for funding after one of three dates:

Beginning Monday, Oct. 2, seniors aged 60 and older, people with disabilities and households with children under the age of 6 years can start applying for LIHEAP assistance.
Beginning Nov. 1, households that are disconnected from service or have a disconnection notice can start applying for LIHEAP assistance.
Beginning Dec. 1, all other income-eligible households can start applying for LIHEAP assistance.

An income-eligible customer's annual household income cannot exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines, which for a family of four is $5,000 a month. Homeowners, renters and subsidized housing tenants are also eligible to apply for assistance. Families and individuals do not have to be behind on their bills to receive a grant. Eligibility details and online Request for Services form are available at helpillinoisfamilies.com.

ComEd bill-assistance options

ComEd administers its Catch Up and Save. This two-part program provides monthly credits to an eligible customer’s bill to eliminate past-due balances, as well as a free, energy-savings kit – which includes home products designed to help lower home energy use while supplies last – to help families save on future energy bills. Other options ComEd offers to help customers with their bills now and into the future include:

Payment arrangements of up to 12 months for eligible residential customers with past-due balances. Make a down payment on the amount owed and pay the rest through installments in addition to your regular monthly bill.
Budget billing, which provides a predictable monthly payment based on your electricity usage from the last 12 months.
Deposit and late-payment charge waivers for one year to income-eligible customers, along with the return of any current deposit.
High-usage alerts, which enable customers to receive alerts when their usage is trending higher than normal to help manage overall energy use, and energy-management tips to help customers manage energy use to save money now and on future energy bills.
Energy-efficiency offerings, including services and incentives designed to help income-eligible residential customers reduce energy use now and in the long term.

“Prioritizing accessibility and a seamless application process is our unwavering commitment to empower Cook County residents in securing a LIHEAP grant,” said Latoya Butler, Vice President of Energy Services for the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA), one of the agencies that administers LIHEAP and other utility assistance programs in Cook County.

To make it easier for customers to sort through these and other bill-assistance options and energy-efficiency programs, ComEd offers its Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) at ComEd.com/SAM. SAM is an online self-service tool that can match customers with the programs for which they may qualify. Customers without internet access can call ComEd at 800-EDISON1 (800-334-7661) Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.