"I want Chicago to be the greenest city in the world, and I am committed to fostering opportunities for Chicagoans to make sustainability a part of their lives and their experience in the city." -- Mayor Emanuel
To help make Mayor Emanuel's vision for Chicago a reality, we set the Chicago Energy Saving Program's Environmental Goal: Increase the use of energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) in Chicago households by one million bulbs.
The resulting environmental benefit from the increased use of CFLs will be equivalent to removing 10,000 cars from Chicago's roads for the next seven years, the average life of the CFLs.
We can reach this target by signing up 10% of Chicago's residents to CESP, so please spread the word about this program to your friends, neighbors and coworkers!
What is the Chicago Energy Saving Program (CESP)?
CESP is a program through the Clean Air Counts Campaign of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus that enables City residents and small businesses to stop wasting money on electricity by reducing the rate you pay and the amount you use. With Integrys Energy Services' low electricity supply rate of 5.8 cents/kWh, you'll pay 16.3% less than you pay now with ComEd's current summer rate of 6.932 cents/kWh for the next few months and, starting in the fall, you'll begin saving 30.3% over ComEd's non-summer rate of 8.32 cents/kWh! And when you sign up for CESP, we'll give you four energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs)--as well as information about the best way to use and dispose* of them--to help you use less electricity as save even more!
How can I sign up for CESP and stop wasting money?
Enrolling in CESP is easy! Simply click here to be transferred to Integrys' Chicago Energy Saving Program sign-up page and follow the directions: it only takes about five minutes. Make sure to have a recent ComEd bill close by because you need your account number to enroll.
Who is behind CESP?
CESP is the Chicago-based section of the Clean Air Counts Energy Saving Program. Clean Air Counts (CAC) is a regional environmental initiative of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus with a mission to reduce ozone-causing emissions, thereby improving air quality in northeastern Illinois and enabling economic development.
Why did Clean Air Counts develop CESP?
For two main reasons: 1. Clean Air Counts (CAC) wants to help stop Chicagoans waste $20 million per month by staying with ComEd's higher-priced electricity supply and 2. CAC wants to get more Chicago residents and small businesses to take advantage of straightforward energy efficiency methods (like using energy-saving CFLs) that will save them money and lead to a greener Chicago.
When should I get involved?
Right now! If you sign up now, you will get the most out of our low rates before CESP contracts end in June 2013 (when ComEd will change its rates). And you don't have to worry about losing out on ComEd's reduced rates - unlike any other third-party supplier offerings, we can guarantee that you will never pay more than ComEd's price. Even if it drops below 5.8 cents/kWh, our supplier, Integrys, will match the new low rate for all CESP customers.
CESP's Three Pillars of Sustainability
We at CESP take Mayor Emanuel's goal of making Chicago the greenest city in the world and getting all Chicagoans involved in sustainability very seriously. Our program's holistic approach to sustainability focuses on three "pillars:" economics, environment and social justice. CESP aims to address the first pillar, economics, by increasing Chicago residents' and small businesses' access to low-priced electricity (through Integrys Energy) and by giving them energy-saving CFLs, both of which will put money back in the pockets of Chicagoans.
We address the second pillar of sustainability, the environment, (and further Clean Air Counts' mission) through the distribution of four-packs of CFLs to our customers. When Chicagoans use CFLs, our need for electricity is decreased and the pollution-spewing generation plants in Chicagoland are used less. This benefits all of us living in the Chicagoland area by decreasing air pollution and making our environment cleaner. Unlike all other supplier "green energy" offerings (e.g., renewable energy certificates), using CFLs improves air quality where we live, work and breathe.
We've been working on the third pillar of our approach to sustainability, social justice, since December, when we began rolling out our CFL-Food Pantry program. The goal of this program is to help the many families in Cook County that have to choose between paying their utility bills and putting food on their tables by giving them CFLs. For every customer that signs up for the CESP before June 15, 2012, we will give a four-pack of CFLs (identical to the ones our customers receive) to a family visiting a local food pantry. These four light bulbs will help a food insecure family save $200 off their electricity bills over the lifetime of the bulbs, leaving them more money for necessities, such as food. New CESP customers can also choose to donate the complimentary CFLs they are offered when signing up for our program to our CFL-Food Pantry program to further help families in need. To learn more about our CFL-Food Pantry program and read about the pantries we've visited please click here or on the tab at the top of the page.
CESP Savings Potential
To see why CESP is such an excellent program for Chicagoans, especially during these difficult economic times, please look at the image below. The chart indicates the total cumulative savings potential for Chicago residents with CESP, since we began the program. Each week, Chicagoans are wasting a total $5 million by not signing up for this program--money that could be going back into residents' pockets and helping the city's economic recovery.
* How to Properly Dispose of Your Burnt-out CFLs:
CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and they should be disposed of properly, preferably by recycling. Many Ace Hardware and Home Depot stores will take your used CFLs to recycle them. To find the store closest to you that will accept your used CFLs, please go to the following website and enter your address: