Hundreds of crews, cooling buses and care vans on standby in case power outages occur
As extreme heat settles in across northern Illinois Friday and into the weekend, including high temperatures in the low to upper 90s and heat indices well in excess of 100 degrees, ComEd has more than 765 workers at the ready to respond quickly and safely to any power outages that occur.
ComEd’s highest priority is the safety of the public and its employees, and extreme heat can pose risks to health. With that in mind, the company is ready to deploy cooling buses and care vans that provide customers with free water and charging stations to communities that may experience prolonged power outages. In addition, the ComEd outage map shows the locations of dozens of cooling centers across its service territories in case residents need a place to cool off.
ComEd urges customers to report any power outages immediately. Customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report an outage and receive restoration information, and can follow the company on Twitter @ComEd or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ComEd. Customers also can report outages by calling 1-800 EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661) or visiting www.ComEd.com/report. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237).
Higher temperatures also can lead to higher energy bills. Customers can save energy and money on hot days by following a few simple tips:
- Turn it off: Turn off all unnecessary lighting and devices.
- Manage the thermostat: Set thermostats at as high a temperature as comfortably possible and ensure humidity control if needed. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting thermostats to 78 degrees when at home and cooling is needed. Install a programmable or smart thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature settings when away from home or sleeping. (https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/thermostats)
- Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed: Heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25 percent to 30 percent of residential heating and cooling energy use. Simply closing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat gain from the sun at home. (https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/design/windows-doors-and-skylights/update-or-replace-windows)
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air: Those who don’t have air conditioning can use ceiling or portable fans with the windows partially open to circulate fresh air into the home and create a breeze. Those who do have air conditioning can use fans to evenly distribute cool air and make a room feel 4 degrees cooler. Fans cool people, not rooms; therefore, fans should be turned off in vacant rooms. (https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/home-cooling-systems/fans-cooling)
- Use appliances wisely: Run appliances that produce heat (like clothes dryers, ovens and dishwashers) at night when it is cooler.
