CHICAGO, Dec 20, 2005 /PRNewswire

 

Cold temperatures throughout northern Illinois and the Chicago area pushed ComEd customer electricity usage to a new winter peak yesterday. Demand for electricity in ComEd's territory unofficially reached a winter record of 16,081 megawatts (MW) between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday. Additional tabulations may adjust the final amount slightly.

The new mark eclipses the previous winter peak of 15,725 MW reached Dec. 7, 2005. The utility's all-time peak of 22,054 MW was recorded on Aug. 21, 2003. One MW powers approximately 700 homes equipped with air conditioning and modern appliances.

Besides cold temperatures, the utility attributes yesterday's record to steady growth in ComEd's service territory related to continued strong housing demand and a recovering economy.

While electricity bills will likely increase this month because of increased consumption, the price ComEd customers pay per kilowatt-hour has not increased since 1995, and will remain at current levels through 2006.

Customers also can request assistance in paying their heating bills through a number of programs such as the Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program and Budget Billing. For information on these programs, customers should call 1-800-Edison-1, or 1-800-95-LUCES (Spanish language).

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.2 million customers and more than $14 billion in annual revenues. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.7 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

SOURCE ComEd

News Provided By