ComEd, Exelon announce $10 million relief fund to help Southland customers with past-due electric bills

ComEd and its parent company Exelon announced a $10 million customer relief fund intended to help low- and moderate-income residents and nonprofit organizations in Northern Illinois pay past-due electric bills. The announcement was made at an event hosted by Cornerstone Community Development Corporation in the Southland and featured ComEd leaders and local elected officials.

"Exelon is making $10,000,000 of this fund available to provide relief for low income residential customers and charitable organizations," said Gil Quinones, chief executive officer of ComEd. The relief money is part of a $50 million initiative by Exelon, Quinones said.

The fund will provide one-time, non-repayable grants to eligible customers and nonprofits, ComEd said. "Customers can qualify for 1 time grants up to $500 based upon their past due balances," said Melissa Washington, senior vice president of customer operations and strategic initiatives at ComEd. She added that nonprofit organizations may qualify for one-time grants up to $1,000.

ComEd said the program will prioritize residential customers, allocating 80% of the $10 million to low- and moderate-income households and the remaining 20% to nonprofit accounts. The utility named the Salvation Army and Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago as local partners that will help identify eligible customers and assist with enrollment.

Officials emphasized the relief fund is intended to "bridge the funding gap" until a separate ComEd low-income discount program launches on Jan. 1, 2026. Quinones also cited the outcome of the PJM capacity auction as a factor increasing customer bills: "The results of last year's PJM capacity auction are driving up cost even more with an average increase of about $10.6 per month for residential customers in ComEd territory," he said, adding that ComEd does not profit from that increase.

ComEd officials highlighted other assistance available to customers alongside the new fund. Washington listed programs and tools including LIHEAP (the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), 12-month payment arrangements, waivers of late fees for income-eligible customers, deposit returns for qualifying customers, high-bill alerts and an online Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) that screens users for programs they may qualify for.

ComEd said the company connected more than 229,000 customers to over $133 million in financial assistance and other supports in 2024. The customer relief fund is intended as a one-time bridge until the low-income discount program begins in 2026.

Elected officials attending the announcement praised the partnership. State Senator Napoleon Harris thanked ComEd and Exelon for the relief effort; "we are here to celebrate the relief fund that's gonna be so important for residents within the Southland," he said. State Representative Debbie Myers Martin said the corporate partnership is "proactive" in addressing household financial hardships. Jason House, mayor of Dolton, said on behalf of his village that officials will "take advantage of this opportunity." Angela Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Community Development Corporation, welcomed the announcement and noted Cornerstone's partnership with ComEd on community programs.

No new ordinance, legislation or regulatory change was introduced at the event; the announcement described a corporate-funded relief program and named third-party community organizations to administer enrollment and distribution. Officials encouraged residents who need assistance to contact ComEd or the named local partners for enrollment help.

ComEd directed residents to comed.com/billsupport for details and to use the SAM tool to check eligibility for this and other assistance programs. The utility said customers who cannot attend an in-person event can still apply online or through the listed community partners.