Build Magazine July 2015

Build Magazine 36 PECO, an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, offers a range of subsidies for various energy saving techniques which successful- ly encourage customers to change their habits for the better. The subsidies are available for both resi- dential property owners and businesses, with residential opportunities for savings including PECO Smart Appliance Recy- cling, where customers can have their old appliance collected and recycled as well as receiving $50 for it; PECO Smart Builder Rebates, allowing construction firms to claim additional funding for their projects and technical advice and PECO Smart A/C Saver, where the company will pay customers $20 a month to remotely manage their air conditioning system in order to save energy. The Smart Appliance Recycling initia- tive in particular has been well received by customers, with firm recently announcing that the 500,000th appli- ance was recycled earlier this month, equating to $1.8 million in rebates given back to customers. In addition to the $50 rebate, customers can save up to $150 a year on their energy bill by getting rid of an older, working refrigerator or freezer. The re- frigerators and freezers recycled through PECO Smart Appliance Recycling has the same environmental impact as removing more than 5,700 cars from the road or planting nearly 66,000 trees. Kathy Lentini, PECO director of Energy and Marketing Services, commented on the progress of the initiative. “We are thrilled to have reached this major milestone and encourage cus- tomers who still have old working fridg- es and freezers to take advantage of this easy, convenient program as well. PECO Smart Ideas has programs to help every customer save energy and money.” PECO celebrated this milestone by presenting Havertown, PA’s Marcus and Amy Besser with an energy efficiency prize package, which included a $500 gift card toward the purchase of an energy-efficient appliance, a certificate for a free PECO Smart House Call energy assessment, LED lightbulbs, smart power strips, and other energy-sav- ing devices and information. PECO launched the scheme in October 2009, and announced the following year that customers had saved more than $68 million dollars using the various programmes. The programs were initially created as part of the company’s support of Pennsylvania’s energy efficiency and demand response targets under Act 129. The act requires all state electric utilities to develop programs to help customers reduce energy use by 1% by May 31st, 2011 and 3% by May 31st, 2013. Utilities also must reduce energy demand during the 100 highest demand hours of the year by 4.5 percent by May 31st, 2013. The programmes were continued owing to their popularity. The success of these residential subsidies offers scope to other similar firms to expand into offering their customers financial incentives to reduce their energy consumption Smart Ways to Save Energy