How One ComEd Employee is Maximizing Energy Savings and You Can Too

Meet Gabriel Nagy, a family man, a Colombian-American immigrant, and a ComEd customer and employee. As an immigrant since the early 1990s, Gabriel is familiar with the challenges that come with language barriers in the U.S. and has always been passionate about advocating for and empowering the Latinx community to seek out solutions and ways to improve the status quo.

So, when he joined ComEd’s Clean Energy Solutions department as part of the Energy Efficiency programs team, two years ago, he learned about all the ways ComEd helps customers reduce their home energy usage and bills. Not only did Gabriel become a bilingual energy efficiency customer advocate, but he decided to walk the talk starting with his own home energy use.

Gabriel explored a variety of the free, energy management programs available to ComEd customers, including home assessments, hourly electricity pricing, and community solar. By participating in a combination of these programs, the Nagy household was able to realize a more than 50 percent reduction in their total energy costs from 2022 to 2024 – on top of benefits to their indoor air comfort during the most frigid and sweltering days of the year.

“I strongly believe in investing in energy efficiency, because it’s not just about savings – these programs help reduce carbon emissions, create jobs, and support a cleaner economy,” said Gabriel. “ComEd has been leading customer empowerment programs, offering ways to manage energy usage which help an average homeowner save substantially on their bills. As a customer and participant of these programs, I’m happy to share my experience to continue engaging customers, especially those in the Latinx and bilingual communities.”

In 2024, ComEd’s award-winning Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Portfolio of programs surpassed the milestone of saving customers a total of $10 billion on their energy bills along with 89 million megawatt-hours of electricity since its launch in 2008. This is enough to power more than 10 million ComEd customers’ homes for one year and avoid nearly 66 billion pounds of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

Here are 5 steps you can take to reduce monthly energy usage and costs as does Gabriel and thousands of other ComEd customers!

The Nagy residence

1. Get a FREE Home Energy Assessment

ComEd offers a free energy assessment of both single- and multi-family homes. As part of Gabriel’s assessment, he received a personalized report that revealed the home’s energy-efficiency status and identified energy-saving opportunities, along with free and discounted products that can help him save energy and money. Customers who go through a home assessment can save over $140 a year on their utility bills.

2. Adopt Energy Efficient Devices

Gabriel then replaced all incandescent lighting in his house with LED lights, which use at least 75% less energy. He adopted advanced power strips to prevent devices from drawing energy even when turned off or on standby. Gabriel also replaced his thermostat with a smart thermostat, which saves on heating and cooling costs by automatically adjusting the temperature when away. Lastly, he replaced his older furnace with a newer, more efficient one.

3. Take Advantage of Home Weatherization

Gabriel’s assessment also suggested that he seal his external doors, windows, and attic to prevent loss of heat or cool air. Gabriel obtained quotes using ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Service Provider network and sealed and insulated his home. Though this step was the most costly in his energy efficiency journey, Gabriel was able to take advantage of a $1,200 Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit on his taxes.

Added attic insulation

4. Join the Hourly Pricing and Central AC Cycling Programs

Gabriel then took his mission to lower energy costs a step further – by managing his energy use when prices were higher and earning credits on his energy bill in the summer! By joining ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program, which provides notifications about the best times to reduce energy use, the Nagy family began to shift high-energy tasks like running the dishwasher and doing laundry to lower-priced hours. They also joined the Central AC Cycling program, which turns off an air conditioner’s compressor, so it safely uses less energy, while keeping the fan on to circulate cool air to keep the home comfortable.

5. Subscribe to Community Solar

Lastly, Gabriel went solar without installing solar panels on his roof! Community solar offers subscribing customers credits on their bills for the energy generated by a solar farm in northern Illinois. Community solar is ideal for renters, apartment dwellers, or homeowners with unsuitable roofs.

Community solar farm

“We’re thrilled with the progress! Some of these changes are investments and take effort, but it’s worth it and, with the help of ComEd, much easier than if I were doing this alone. I’ve seen energy cost savings, better indoor air quality, and we’re lowering our carbon emissions for a healthier, more sustainable future.”

Gabriel says that his work on his home isn’t done yet. He looks forward to replacing his furnace with a heat pump that maintains home temperature four times more efficiently than traditional heating and cooling systems. He also plans on switching his gas-powered car with an electric vehicle (EV) and installing an EV charger in his garage using ComEd EV programs. Eventually, he’ll install all-electric appliances that are cleaner and more efficient. To follow in Gabriel’s footsteps, visit www.ComEd.com/Clean.