Business and residential customers participating in the Commonwealth Edison Company's energy efficiency programs saved more than $20 million in utility costs in the past year, the power company said.

Savings during the first year of the Smart Ideas programs, which concluded May 31, exceeded expectations in both customer categories, according to ComEd. Energy savings amounted to more than 200 gigawatt hours, which is almost as much energy needed to power 20,000 homes for a year, the company said.

The programs for business customers include incentives for energy efficiency improvement projects, new construction and load response.

ComEd said it supported $41.3 million in energy efficiency projects with about $7.6 million in incentives for businesses, which resulted in saving more than 98,000 MWh of electricity annually. On average, the utility disbursed almost $16,000 in incentives for participating businesses.

On the residential side, product programs for customers resulted in sales of almost 3 million discounted CFL bulbs and 17,500 fixtures at participating retail stores. Use of the products saved more than an estimated 90,000 MWh of electricity. The programs also helped residential customers recycle about 12,000 appliances, a savings of more than an estimated 8,500 MWh of electricity.

In addition, upgrades at more than 3,500 apartments and all-electric, multifamily units with CFLs, water-saving faucet and shower aerators, water heater insulating jackets and water pipe insulation sleeves yielded a savings of more than 2,500 MWh of electricity.

The utility also enrolled more than 10,000 new participants in the company's Central Air Conditioning Cycling program, which enables the power company to reduce loads by almost 15 MW during peak periods.

_{Image courtesy of ComEd.}