ComEd Launches New Programs to Continue Support for Customers in Need

B-roll of press conference and parade available at:

ComEd Launches New Programs to Continue Support for Customers in Need

Resource fair with Arthur Lockhart Resource Institute brings new and existing support services directly to Austin community residents

CHICAGO (July 29, 2023) – To help individuals and families in need of financial support, ComEd announced today two new programs that will provide financial assistance for residential electric bills and help customers with their credit scores while educating them about financial literacy.

The announcement was made at ComEd's most recent Community Resource Fair, held in collaboration with the Arthur Lockhart Resource Institute's (ALRI) 35th annual Say No to Drugs & Violence Parade and Resource Fair in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. The event blended entertainment with access to community resources. Joining today's event were U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis, Illinois State Rep. LaShawn Ford and Chicago Alderman Emma Mitts.

"To help address the needs of the communities we're privileged to serve, ComEd is continuously working to find new and innovative ways to help customers who may be struggling to make ends meet," said Gil C. Quiniones, ComEd CEO. "At ComEd, we strive to provide support that goes beyond simply helping families pay their bills. By connecting customers with community organizations that provide relevant services, ComEd is helping customers directly access available assistance within their communities."

The July 29 Community Resource Fair, which began under the stewardship of the late West Side clergyman and progressive community advocate, Rev. Dr. Arthur Lockhart, provides an in-person forum where a diverse group of assistance providers work directly with customers to connect them with needed assistance and education including, but not limited to, bill-assistance options, health screenings, child support services, housing support, and job training programs.

"For more than 35 years, the ALRI has dedicated its services and programs to the advancement and improvement of the residents on the West Side of Chicago," said Dr. Elizabeth Lockhart, executive director at ALRI. "ALRI focuses on providing health, education, and economic growth to children, seniors, veterans, and low-income families."

ComEd's new assistance programs

Bill Payment Assistance is ComEd's newest program to help income-eligible customers pay their ComEd bills. Eligible ComEd customers with household incomes of 80% or less of the average median income may receive one-time bill credits of $150 to $500, based on the customers' account status and while funds are available.
Credit Empowerment provides one-on-one support to help individuals improve their credit scores. In collaboration with Working Credit, the program provides an overview of how the credit system works, helps participants create a personalized credit action plan to help them improve their specific credit situation, and provides information on ComEd energy-efficiency offerings to the customer that will help the customer manage their energy use and energy bills.

"Today, credit is increasingly foundational to creating a strong path to financial security. Credit is not just relevant for big-ticket items like purchasing a house or a car. Credit impacts rental housing options, the cost of monthly expenses, the ability to finance a new cell phone, and the ability to weather an economic shock," said Morgan Spears, Chief Community Engagement Officer at Working Credit. "Working Credit is thrilled to provide equitable and accurate credit education and one-on-one credit-building counseling to ComEd's customers through its Credit Empowerment program. Building credit builds so much for people and their families and serves as a key stepping stone towards financial freedom."

ComEd's two new offerings add to a growing range of programs to which ComEd can connect income-eligible families and individuals to help them manage energy bills and access clean-energy options. They include payment assistance options, energy-efficiency offerings, and more.

ComEd customers who are unable to attend community events can learn about many of these options by visiting ComEd.com/PaymentAssistance or through the energy company's Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) at ComEd.com/SAM. SAM is a free, online self-service tool that helps families and individuals more easily access financial-assistance and energy-saving options that are available to them, based on their income and household size. For information on all of the options available, call ComEd at 800-334-7661 (800-EDISON1), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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About ComEd

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, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Arthur Lockhart Resource Institute (ALRI)

ALRI is dedicated to helping people from all walks of life who are confronted with the choice between paying rent, putting food on the table, paying for medication, or getting enough to eat. ALRI also focuses on proactively addressing health care concerns by improving health literacy levels, testing, and referrals of residents of Chicago's Austin/West Garfield Park communities.

About Working Credit

Working Credit NFP is a national nonprofit based in Chicago with a mission to partner with individuals and communities to interrupt structural racism by providing credit-building education, counseling, and access to the products necessary to thrive financially. We engage with values-oriented institutions to offer evidence-based credit-building education, financial counseling and coaching, and facilitated access to no- or low-cost credit-building financial products. For more information, visit workingcredit.org.