ComEd Introduces "Report an Outage" App for Facebook
CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd customers have a new tool to report power outages - Facebook. The new Facebook application, available on ComEd's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ComEd), allows users to report power outages and check their outage status. By visiting the site, clicking the "Report an Outage" icon and entering the same log-in information they use on ComEd.com, customers will let ComEd know that their power is out and where the outage is located. They can return to the app to check the status of the outage as well. ComEd is the first public utility in the country to offer this capability through Facebook.
"Enabling customers to report an outage using ComEd's Facebook page is another important tool our customers can use to let us know the power is out in their area," said Val Jensen, Senior Vice-President of Customer Operations for ComEd. "The quicker we know about an outage, the quicker we can respond and restore power."
This app is the most recent in a series of tools designed to increase options for customers to communicate directly with ComEd and receive information. In the last year, ComEd has also introduced a two-way texting program, a mobile application for AppleĀ® and Android(TM) smart phones, an outage map on its website and more. The tools let customers report an outage, receive updates on restoration of power to their area, pay their bills and manage their accounts.
"After the significant storms we faced in 2011, we recognized the need to provide our customers with a greater variety of ways to communicate with us when and where it is most convenient for them," said Jensen. "Using these digital tools gives customers a greater ability to make decisions in the wake of an outage or in the management of their account."
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 6.6 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.