{"id":43126,"date":"2025-07-07T10:01:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T15:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/?p=43126"},"modified":"2025-08-01T09:36:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T14:36:44","slug":"comed-sets-up-relief-fund-as-customers-deal-with-summer-price-spike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/07\/07\/comed-sets-up-relief-fund-as-customers-deal-with-summer-price-spike\/","title":{"rendered":"ComEd sets up relief fund, as customers deal with summer price spike"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>UPDATE:<\/strong> <\/span>ComEd announced on July 29 that the relief fund has run out of money. It was a step in the right direction, but it&#8217;s painfully short of what is needed. We call on utilities statewide to provide more shareholder money for rate relief.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the wake of a 45 percent spike in its electricity price, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has set up a $10 million relief program, funded by its parent company, for certain income-qualified customers. As of July 7, eligible ComEd customers can now sign up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/welcome-cubs-help-center\/\">In a consumer alert<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, CUB explained the spike was due to an increase in the cost for reserve power, also called &#8220;capacity.&#8221; The increase, which took effect June 1, will cost customers on average about $10.60 a month more, depending on your usage, through May 31. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June, ComEd announced it was joining with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Chicago and the Salvation Army to launch a Customer Relief Fund to provide one-time grant assistance (up to $500 for residential customers, up to $1,000 for nonprofits) to its income-eligible customers. Here are the details:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who is eligible?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Current residential customers (homeowner or renter) who have past-due balances AND are at, or below, 300 percent of the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/aspe.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/dd73d4f00d8a819d10b2fdb70d254f7b\/detailed-guidelines-2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Poverty Level<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may qualify for a one-time grant of up to $500.\u00a0 (<strong>Note:<\/strong> Income documentation is required for individual customers, but documentation for LIHEAP customers will be waived.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>OR<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that are current customers AND have past-due balances may qualify for a one-time grant of up to $1,000. (<strong>Note:<\/strong> The organization must have a registered nonprofit account and submit an IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter.)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Where can customers apply?<br \/>\n<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to this special ComEd webpage: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comed.com\/my-account\/customer-support\/payment-assistance\/customer-relief-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ComEd.com\/Relief <\/strong><\/a><\/span>for information about the program. Once there, you can apply directly in-person or online through one of these two organizations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/centralusa.salvationarmy.org\/northcentralillinois\/the-salvation-army-and-comed-partnership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Salvation Army:<\/strong><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>At this site, the Salvation Army includes online forms in both Spanish and English, and for customers who are on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and not on that program.<\/li>\n<li>The Salvation Army also offers physical forms you can download, print, fill out and turn in to your local Salvation Army corps or service center&#8211;but it adds this important note: <strong>&#8220;Online registration is the quickest and easiest way to apply!&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Salvation Army locations are listed at the bottom of <a href=\"https:\/\/centralusa.salvationarmy.org\/northcentralillinois\/the-salvation-army-and-comed-partnership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>this Salvation Army site.<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li>If you have questions, call <a href=\"tel:3126672010\"><strong><u>312-667-2010<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nhschicago.org\/customer-relief-fund\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>NHS:<\/strong><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>At this site, NHS details the requirements of receiving a grant, and also has a link to an online form.<\/li>\n<li>If you have questions, call <a href=\"tel:8886885438\">1-888-688-5438<\/a>\u00a0 or email <a href=\"mailto:BillPayAssistance@nhschicago.org\">BillPayAssistance@nhschicago.org<\/a>, or visit NHS offices in Chicago, Monday \u2013 Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at:<strong>South Side<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 639 E. 87th Street, Chicago, IL 60619<br \/>\n<strong>West Side<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 2950 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622<br \/>\n<strong>Central\/Westloop<\/strong> \u2013 850 W. Jackson blvd., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>How will the grant show up on my bill and how long will it take to get approved?<br \/>\n<\/strong>If your application is approved, the grant will show up as a credit on your bill. It may take up to two billing cycles to appear as a credit on your account.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are there other details I should know about?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Customers who are pending disconnection or disconnected are allowed to apply but the turnaround for all recipients will be up to two billing cycles, regardless of account status. If your electricity has already been shut off, applying for this program does not guarantee reactivation. If you are in jeopardy of disconnection, please contact ComEd, at <strong>1-800-334-7661<\/strong>, to discuss alternative payment arrangements.<\/li>\n<li>Applicants living in a rental unit must be receiving a ComEd bill separate from their rent statement.<\/li>\n<li>While an applicant must be the ComEd account holder, the applicant can designate someone to file an application for them on their behalf.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Are ComEd customers paying for this?<br \/>\n<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. The $10 million fund is supported by a donation to NHS and the Salvation Army from Exelon shareholders, ComEd\u2019s parent company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Does ComEd have any other options for assistance?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.comed.com\/assistance\/landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Smart Assistance Manager<\/strong><\/a> is an online tool that promises to match consumers\u2019 accounts with potential financial assistance options.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.comed.com\/programs\/landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Savings Programs, Rebates and Incentives<\/strong><\/a> page details energy efficiency incentives and programs.<\/li>\n<li>ComEd does plan to launch a low-income discount program for qualifying customers, but that\u2019s in January of 2026. Stay tuned for more information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UPDATE: ComEd announced on July 29 that the relief fund has run out of money. It was a step in the right direction, but it&#8217;s painfully short of what is needed. We call on utilities statewide to provide more shareholder money for rate relief. In the wake of a 45 percent spike in its electricity price, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has set up a $10 million relief program, funded by its parent company, for certain income-qualified customers. As of July 7, eligible ComEd customers can now sign up.\u00a0 In a consumer alert, CUB explained the spike was due to an increase in the cost for reserve power, also called &#8220;capacity.&#8221; The increase, which took effect June 1, will cost customers on average about $10.60 a month more, depending on your usage, through May 31. In June, ComEd announced it was joining with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Chicago and the Salvation Army to launch a Customer Relief Fund to provide one-time grant assistance (up to $500 for residential customers, up to $1,000 for nonprofits) to its income-eligible customers. Here are the details:\u00a0 Who is eligible?\u00a0 Current residential customers (homeowner or renter) who have past-due balances AND are at, or below, 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level may qualify for a one-time grant of up to $500.\u00a0 (Note: Income documentation is required for individual customers, but documentation for LIHEAP customers will be waived.) OR 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that are current customers AND have past-due balances may qualify for a one-time grant of up to $1,000. (Note: The organization must have a registered nonprofit account and submit an IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter.) Where can customers apply? Go to this special ComEd webpage: ComEd.com\/Relief for information about the program. Once there, you can apply directly in-person or online through one of these two organizations: Salvation Army: At this site, the Salvation Army includes online forms in both Spanish and English, and for customers who are on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and not on that program. The Salvation Army also offers physical forms you can download, print, fill out and turn in to your local Salvation Army corps or service center&#8211;but it adds this important note: &#8220;Online registration is the quickest and easiest way to apply!&#8221; Salvation Army locations are listed at the bottom of this Salvation Army site. If you have questions, call 312-667-2010 NHS: At this site, NHS details the requirements of receiving a grant, and also has a link to an online form. If you have questions, call 1-888-688-5438\u00a0 or email BillPayAssistance@nhschicago.org, or visit NHS offices in Chicago, Monday \u2013 Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at:South Side\u00a0\u2013 639 E. 87th Street, Chicago, IL 60619 West Side\u00a0\u2013 2950 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 Central\/Westloop \u2013 850 W. Jackson blvd., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607 How will the grant show up on my bill and how long will it take to get approved? If your application is approved, the grant will show up as a credit on your bill. It may take up to two billing cycles to appear as a credit on your account. Are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[299,76],"tags":[1803],"class_list":["post-43126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comed","category-electric-bills","tag-relief-program"],"cp_meta_data":{"_facebook_share_type":["default"],"_twitter_share_type":["default"],"_linkedin_share_type":["default"],"_pinterest_share_type":["default"],"_instagram_share_type":["default"],"_medium_share_type":["default"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1754061103:5"],"_edit_last":["5"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"borntogive_page_header_show_hide":["2"],"borntogive_pages_title_show":["1"],"borntogive_pages_Choose_slider_display":["2"],"borntogive_pages_select_revolution_from_list":["3"],"borntogive_pages_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_effects":["fade"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_social_show":["1"],"borntogive_strict_no_sidebar":["0"],"borntogive_sidebar_columns_layout":["3"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_effects":["fade"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":[""],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":["off"],"_wpsp_is_facebook_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_twitter_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_linkedin_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_pinterest_share":["off"],"_selected_social_profile":["a:0:{}"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["299"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["4"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"],"_wp_old_date":["2025-06-12"],"_oembed_6aaf0b9f413f422dfe9b0d99c6737dc4":["{{unknown}}"],"_oembed_cd46aff58902bdda71fc2314455b4651":["{{unknown}}"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43126"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43413,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43126\/revisions\/43413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}