More than 200 seniors at a Downers Grove, Illinois, apartment complex will see their electric bills decline after ComEd, the utility serving the area, completes a large energy makeover. The makeover of 164 units will include new insulation, caulking, weatherstripping, energy-efficient lighting, Energy Star refrigerators and other energy-efficiency measures.

“We are helping seniors and customers in need to conserve energy and save money on their bills by weatherizing their homes,” said Sharon Hillman, ComEd vice president of marketing and environmental programs. “These energy makeovers, like any weatherization program, also benefit the environment by reducing the demand for electricity from power plants with carbon emissions.”

The utility will spend about $4 million as part of ComEd’s rate relief and assistance initiative to provide energy makeovers to customers who heat with electricity and are approved through the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP), which is a state- and federally funded energy assistance program run by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS).

ComEd sent letters to more than 4,000 customers who heat with electricity to inform them about HFS’s weatherization assistance program, and the owners of the Oak Tree Tower Apartments were among the first to respond to an invitation to apply for weatherization assistance.  EC