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Saratoga Tower to receive more than $788,000 in electric and gas incentives

MORRIS, Ill. (Sept. 17, 2019) – ComEd and Nicor Gas partnered to install energy efficiency upgrades at Saratoga Tower, a 95-unit senior public housing building. The energy-saving improvements that have been made to date are estimated to save the facility more than $41,000 per year in combined electric and natural gas utility costs. The facility celebrated the occasion with an ice cream social for the residents to share the news.   

"This project highlights the huge impact of comprehensive energy efficiency programs," said Erica Borggren, vice president of customer solutions, ComEd. "We're proud to have partnered with Nicor Gas to bring to the residents of Saratoga Tower a safer, more comfortable and more energy efficient building that will help them save."

 "We are excited to bring this opportunity to Saratoga Tower and its residents," said Mike King, manager of program operations, Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program. "The improvements will help the residents live more comfortably, along with saving money and energy. The partnership between the utilities demonstrates our commitment to the communities we serve."

The energy-saving projects that were funded and installed by ComEd and Nicor Gas include smoke detectors for the hearing impaired, a commercial kitchen exhaust fan, 95 package terminal air conditioner units, 95 refrigerators, three mini split heat pumps and a 10-ton rooftop HVAC unit for a total of more than $788,000 in incentives. An energy-saving boiler project is also in the works. The upgrades were completed in partnership with Kendall Grundy Community Action Agency, Grundy County Housing Authority, Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies and four area contractors.

ComEd and Nicor Gas partner with 17 community action agencies in northern Illinois to provide energy efficiency retrofits in single- and multi-family properties for income qualified customers.

The celebration with Saratoga Tower residents included a photobooth, games and a barbershop quartet. State Rep. David Welter, a representative from State Rep. Sue Rezin's office and Morris Mayor Richard P. Kopczick attended.   

"We are so pleased to have these extensive projects completed," said T. Brent Newman, CEO, Grundy County Housing Authority. "Based on our current funding levels, there simply isn't any way we could to do this by ourselves. Everyone has worked so hard and the residents have been so patient. We really are very grateful for the utility companies' energy efficiency programs."

To date, ComEd has given $1 billion in incentives to residential and business customers and empowered them to save more than $4 billion on their electric bills through the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program. Since its inception, the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program has helped natural gas customers save more than 100 million therms and earn more than $90 million in rebates and cash incentives.

For more information on the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, visit ComEd.com/HomeSavings for residential customers and ComEd.com/BizSavings for business customers. For Nicor Gas customers, visit NicorGas.com for more information about the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program.