June 2007 Archives

As temperatures in Illinois continue to climb, ComEd is reminding customers to apply for help with summer electric bills through ComEd's $64 million Rate Relief and Assistance Initiative. ComEd says it has already granted more than $15.4 million in bill credits to about 350,000 customers, and nearly $30 million remains available to eligible customers this year.

The company says rate relief grants, credits and other programs are available now to customers most in need. For most programs, customers with incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty level, or $40,000 for a family of four, qualify. In addition, a residential special hardship fund is open to families with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level, or $80,000 for a family of four. Enrollment is now open, and ComEd is encouraging all customers who think that they may be eligible to apply.

ComEd also is increasing its work crews in the field today to monitor the system and respond quickly to any problems. ComEd says it cannot promise there will never be outages, but is committed to reducing their number and duration by responding quickly to any service interruptions that may occur. If customers experience an outage or have any questions about their ComEd service, they are urged to call 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661).

ComEd is also offering energy saving tips to help customers reduce their energy use and lower their bills:

• While at home, keep the thermostat at a constant, comfortable level (a suggested 75 to 78 degrees). Lowering the thermostat below the desired temperature will not cool the home faster.
• Run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or evening hours when it's cooler.
• Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Blinds and curtains act as a layer of insulation that helps keep the home cool.
• Keep doors to the outside, garage or attic firmly closed to keep cool air in and hot air out.
• Use fans to evenly distribute cool air and reduce air conditioners "on" time.
• Place window air conditioning units on the north or shady side of the home to avoid overworking the unit in the hot daytime sun.

For more energy-saving ideas, or for more details on ComEd's Rate Relief and Assistance Initiative, visit www.ComEdCARE.com, or call 888-806-CARE (2273).

Comcast recently celebrated the official grand opening of the company's second call center in Connecticut. By the end of the year, the new 77,000 square foot facility will employ more than 200 customer care representatives, who Comcast says will help meet the growing customer demand for Comcast's cable television, high-speed Internet and phone products.

"We are thrilled that Comcast made the business decision to invest in our state and create over 200 jobs in the process. This new facility underscores the fact that Connecticut is open to business and has the talented workforce to fuel business growth," said Governor M. Jodi Rell, who attended the grand opening ceremony with other state and local officials. "Comcast is a valued member of Connecticut's business community, and their expanded presence in our state will have a positive impact on the local and state economies."

Doug Guthrie, Vice President for Comcast's Connecticut-Western Massachusetts Region, thanked Governor Rell, the Town of Enfield and other state and local officials for their support. Guthrie noted that between the two call centers and 14 service centers located throughout the state, Comcast employs more than 1,100 individuals in Connecticut. He said that the new facility gives Comcast the capacity to add up to approximately 350 positions in the next few years as it continues to grow its business. In addition to the two Connecticut call centers, Comcast operates six other call centers in New England.

"Governor Rell and the Department of Economic and Community Development have been instrumental in Comcast's efforts to expand our operations in the state of Connecticut as we strive to meet the strong customer demand for our innovative products and services," said Guthrie. "Comcast's recipe for success starts with delivering a top-notch customer experience, and that includes locating our call centers in and around communities where our customers live and work."

Prior to the transition to Comcast, Adelphia/Tele-Media customer calls were entirely outsourced to other parts of the country, a trend that Comcast says it has reversed to ensure better service.

Guthrie added that the opening of the new call center coincides with the completed launch of Comcast Digital Voice, the company's residential phone service, which is offered in every Connecticut community in which Comcast provides service, including those previously served by Adelphia/Tele-Media. With phone service offered throughout the state, Comcast says the company's Triple Play bundle of digital cable with ON DEMAND, Comcast high-speed Internet and Comcast Digital Voice will also be available to customers throughout the company's footprint.

For more information on the call center, check out the Comcast press release.

Duke Energy Ohio recently announced it will file an application with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio seeking an increase of $34 million, or 5.8 percent overall, in natural gas rates. The increase would be effective in the early- to mid-2008 and is the first general rate filing since 2001.

Duke Energy Ohio says it has invested more than $460 million to expand its natural gas delivery system to meet customer growth and make other safety, reliability and efficiency improvements. In addition to that investment, the company says it has also experienced increases in operating costs for delivery service consistent with inflation, creating the need for a rate increase.

"We have made significant investments in our natural gas system to meet customer growth and improve safety and reliability," said Sandra Meyer, president of Duke Energy Ohio. "These investments have enhanced service and reduced maintenance expenses, helping to minimize the requested increase."

The company is seeking to implement the increase for residential customers over a three-year period to gradually establish rates for all customers that reflect the actual cost of providing service. The actual amount of the bill will depend on the cost of natural gas at the time the increases take effect and the level of increase authorized by PUCO. Natural gas costs are billed to customers at the company's cost or at the customer's agreed upon price with an alternative supplier, in either case without profit to Duke Energy Ohio.

Duke Energy Ohio is planning to increase its funding for low-income weatherization by 50 percent to assist customers in managing their energy usage.

For more on the rate increase, see the Duke Energy Ohio press release.

HOUSTON (June 7, 2007) - Executives at WhiteFence, the nation's leading online comparison-shopping marketplace for residential home services, announced today that the company has acquired competitor ConnectUtilities. Beginning immediately, WhiteFence will integrate ConnectUtilities into its growing family of Web sites.

Both WhiteFence and ConnectUtilities offer the 110 million U.S. households the opportunity to compare pricing and order service plans for a variety of residential home services, including home telephone, high-speed Internet, natural gas and cable television, among others.

"While our strategy has been to grow WhiteFence organically, we're excited to take this next step and acquire ConnectUtilities," stated WhiteFence chief executive officer Eric Danziger. "Through this acquisition, we are able to grow our channel partner relationships, technology infrastructure and customer base as we further expand our national footprint."

ConnectUtilities, also founded in 2000, provides full-service utility connections online, while at the same time offering up-to-date promotions and cost saving opportunities.

WhiteFence recently completed its second round of funding, having raised $14 million led by new investor Adams Street Partners, in addition to Internet Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICGE), who led the company's first round of funding in 2005.

About WhiteFence

WhiteFence is the leading one-stop online comparison-shopping marketplace that helps consumers compare and order home services such as electricity, natural gas, phone, cable and satellite TV, high-speed Internet and more. WhiteFence's proprietary transaction engine makes it easy for all 110 million U.S. households, including movers, to find the best deals and conveniently set up their home services in minutes.

Safe Harbor Statement under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future performance of our partner companies, acquisitions or dispositions of interests in partner companies, the effect of economic conditions generally, capital spending by customers and development of the e-commerce and information technology markets, and uncertainties detailed in the Company???s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected.

The popular personal finance site Kiplinger.com recently featured an article about how to have a smooth moving experience. Written by contributing editor Erin Burt, the article features tips and tricks she recently implemented in her own move.

Here are some highlights:

Don't forget yourself.
When weighing your options, remember to factor in the cost of getting yourself and your family to your destination. Estimate gas expenses for your moving truck or car, as well as any food stops and hotel stays. If you hire a transportation company and plan to fly to your new city, calculate the cost of plane tickets and shipping your car, and arrange for a place to stay while you wait for your stuff to arrive. See 25 Best Travel Sites for tips on finding a good deal on your airfare and accommodations.

Sell your stuff.
If you don't have a lot of things or you aren't attached to what you've got, be pragmatic. Don't pay $6,000 to move $1,000 worth of stuff. And even if you plan to keep your belongings, hold a virtual garage sale for the few things you don't want anymore. While cleaning out my closets, I found some household and baby items to sell on Craigslist, and my husband sold a stack of old textbooks on Amazon.com. We've made about $250 by downsizing—money that is helping to offset the cost of our moving truck. (Learn more about where and how to sell your stuff online.)

To read all of Burt's moving advice, check out the article How to Have a Smooth Move.

For more moving tips, see the WhiteFence Moving FAQ or Moving Tips archive.

Having a hard time convincing your kids to adopt good energy-saving habits? If you could use a little help, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Disney recently announced that they are cooperating in a nationwide campaign to promote energy efficiency through a TV spot based on the upcoming film Disney*Pixar film Ratatouille. Energy advice from a rat that cooks? It just might work!

"Combining the energy expertise of the Department of Energy with the promotional ingenuity of Disney is a unique way to raise energy awareness," said DOE Secretary Samuel W. Bodman. "I hope this will be the first project in a continuing effort to leverage the resources of the entertainment industry and government to encourage smart energy choices."

Featuring the Ratatouille characters Remy, Emile and Skinner, the 30-second animated spot encourages viewers to switch from incandescent light bulbs to EnergyStar® compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) and points them to the energy.gov website for more tips on saving energy or using renewable energy technologies in the home.

Beginning June 15, the spot will air on cable networks nationwide, with a particular emphasis in northern portions of Virginia as well as in northern and southern California, and will continue through the summer. While the spot points out that energy can be used in a variety of ways, it emphasizes that it can be used more efficiently by employing technologies such as CFLs.

To view the spot and get tips on saving energy visit www.eere.energy.gov/consumer.

As more mobile users rely on text messages to communicate everyday, law enforcement professionals are trying to find ways to put the technology to good use in the fight against crime. In fact, the Boston Police Department recently announced the launch of a text message based tip line that they are saying is the first of it's kind. The new Crime Stoppers tip line, designed by Hill Holliday and powered by VeriSign, will enable Boston residents to anonymously provide information about crimes that may help police make their communities safer.

The new program allows the Boston Police Department to engage residents in a voluntary community-wide effort to reduce the number of violent crimes. Mobile users in North America currently send more than 650 million text messages each day, and according to M:Metrics, the most active texters are young adults (ages 18 - 24) with more than 70 percent sending text messages every month.

"The City of Boston is excited to introduce this new and innovative approach to the Boston Police Department's Crime Stoppers program. We are confident that the anonymity of the text function coupled with the sophisticated outreach program will inspire individuals to provide police with helpful, investigative tips," said Boston Police Commissioner, Edward Davis.

VeriSign powers the Boston Crime Stoppers text messaging platform, provisioned the C-R-I-M-E short code, and manages the system's user interface. While the technology behind it is complicated, concerned citizens can use it by simply texting the word "tip" to C-R-I-M-E (27463).

The text messages will be channeled to a police department interface, with the VeriSign system masking all personal identifiable information (e.g. mobile phone numbers) before sending any information to the police department. Through the interface, the Boston Police Department can immediately exchange messages with the tipster to obtain information about the crime and the details necessary to respond rapidly.

"The Boston Police Department has shown extraordinary vision by taking a rapidly growing communications trend and making it work for the benefit of their community," said Oliver Holle, Vice President of Mobile Applications, VeriSign. "Enabling secure communication is one of our core strengths at VeriSign. We are excited to be a part of such an innovative and relevant program, made possible by collaboration with Boston law enforcement and Hill Holliday."

For more information, check out the press release.

Houston just got a little more Comcastic! Customers throughout Greater Houston will now have a new service provider as Time Warner Cable officially became Comcast today. The transition, affecting more than 750,000 Houston-area cable TV, high-speed Internet and digital phone customers, follows the dissolution of a joint venture between the companies earlier this year.

To mark the switch, Comcast says it will enhance the channel lineup in the City of Houston and the 62 surrounding communities it now serves by launching nearly 20 new channels, including the NFL Network and five High-Definition (HD) networks. Houstonians have already started to notice the branded Comcast trucks, signs and employee uniforms that have been popping up in the service area, which stretches from Galveston to the Woodlands and from Baytown to Katy.

The transition sets the stage for the rollout of Comcast's broadband video, high-speed Internet and phone products, thanks to an investment of more than $200 million in the area this year.

"The transition from Time Warner Cable to Comcast is more than just a change in name on a technician's uniform, on a truck or on a building," said Tony Speller, senior vice president of the Houston region. "It represents a true commitment to innovative products, a focus on improving our customers' experience and an ongoing dedication to the communities where our customers and our 2,700 employees live and work. We will work hard each day to earn the trust and satisfaction of our newest customers."

For more information on the transition, check out the Comcast press release.

AT&T; announced recently that fans of celebrity cook and daytime host Rachael Ray are in for a new treat. Rachael Ray, along with AT&T; and LimeLife, a publisher of mobile content for women, announced have launched Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run—a new wireless application that allows subscribers to download recipes directly to their mobile phones. Subscribers to the service can access Rachael Ray recipes from anywhere along with cooking tips and shopping lists.

"I'm excited to bring my 30-minute recipes to mobile phones," said Rachael Ray. "With Recipes on the Run, I hope to make it easier for families and home cooks to know what ingredients to buy while actually at the food store—whether they are shopping for the entire week, or just grabbing a few things for a quick supper that night."

"In today's fast-paced society, consumers are turning to their wireless device to provide them with information and tools that help simplify their life," said Rob Hyatt, executive director of premium content for AT&T;'s wireless unit. "Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run provides AT&T; wireless customers with simple solutions and inspiration for balanced, easy-to-prepare meals and furthers our commitment to delivering rich content that is accessible anytime, anywhere."

For more information on the new service, check out the AT&T; press release.

ComEd officials recently announced that the company has informed the Chicago City Council Committee on Environmental Protection, Energy and Public Utilities at its annual summer readiness briefing that the company is well positioned to meet summer electricity demand.

ComEd President J. Barry Mitchell confirmed ComEd has sufficient resources in place to meet customer demand and fulfill its 15 percent reserve margin requirement under the PJM Regional Transmission Organization, which manages the electricity grid in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia. Mitchell expects peak demand for electricity this summer could reach 23,525 megawatts (MW), less than last summer's all-time record of 23,613 MW set Aug. 1, 2006. One MW powers approximately 300 homes equipped with air conditioning and modern appliances.

"ComEd is prepared both in terms of energy supply and system reliability," Mitchell said. "Our system performed outstanding during last year's record period, and we are poised as always to meet customer needs—even on the hottest days."

ComEd says it is continuing to invest in its infrastructure to enhance reliability and meet growing customer demand. The company says that since 2000, it has invested about $4.7 billion to enhance its electric distribution system throughout the northern Illinois service territory—with $264.4 million invested in 2006.

"We performed 107 summer critical projects in Chicago to bolster reliability and system capacity ahead of the coming summer," Mitchell said. "In addition to installing new distribution lines and extending existing lines, we conducted numerous drills and carried out preventive and corrective maintenance to prepare our personnel and equipment for the coming summer."

For more information on ComEd's plans for the summer season, check out the press release.

To celebrate Father's Day this Sunday, Blockbuster recently presented a survey on the best and the worst movie dads—and how they stack up against those off-screen.

Topping movie lovers' list of on-screen fathers they'd most like as their own is the devoted and determined single dad Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness played by Will Smith. Fans also chose Will Smith as the celebrity dad they'd most like to have as their own. The on-screen and off-screen Smith was most popular with young females ages 18-34, although males also named him a top pick.

Real-life dads get less respect than their on-film counterparts, with survey respondents comparing their own fathers to some of the most notoriously humorous and sometimes bumbling dads in movie history. Topping the list is Steve Martin's George Banks in Father of the Bride. Movie lovers also named Jack Byrnes, the overprotective ex-CIA dad in Meet the Parents and Chevy Chase's clueless Clark Griswold from National Lampoon's Vacation as characters reminiscent of their own dads.

When asked what movie dad they'd least like to have as their own, more than a third chose the terrifying Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson in The Shining followed by Jim Carrey's Fletcher Reede in Liar, Liar and dad from the Dark Side Darth Vader from the Star Wars series. Fortunately, none of these characters showed up on the "movie dads most like my own" list!

For more information on the survey, check out the Blockbuster press release.

Do you live in a green apartment community? A recent Apartments.com survey indicates more than sixty-three percent of survey respondents who live in an apartment community recycle regularly. In comparison, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that 32 percent of the entire U.S. population participates in recycling programs.

Of the renters who do recycle, fifty percent live in an apartment community that offers a recycling program for residents. Property managers and apartment owners support environmental issues in numerous ways as survey respondents indicate the following eco-friendly products and services are provided by management companies: recycling bins and receptacles (34 percent), energy efficient lighting (10 pecent), water saving showers and fixtures (10 percent ) and insulation in windows and doors (8 percent).

Environmentally friendly communities are in high demand as twenty-six percent of renters state they would pay more in rent to live in a building that makes efforts to conserve and recycle. When asked to choose between identical apartments with the same monthly rent, one being eco-friendly and the other not, more than sixty-four percent of renters would choose the "green" apartment.

A significant number of survey respondents indicate that they personally make conservation efforts regardless of the presence of a formal recycling program within their rental community. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents recycle plastic, fifty-seven percent indicate that they use energy efficient light bulbs, fifty-six percent recycle paper, aluminum and glass and forty-six percent use a timer to set their heating/air conditioning to run only while someone is home.

For more information on the survey, check out the Apartments.com press release.

AT&T; Inc. recently announced the successful implementation of a voice solution for NSTAR, a Massachusetts-based electricity and natural gas utility, to manage incoming customer service calls. Under a $3 million four-year contract, AT&T; will provide NSTAR with AT&T; VoiceTone®, a natural-language solution that responds to customers' precise needs.

AT&T; says VoiceTone is designed to enhance the customer-calling experience by replacing time-consuming menus and touch-tone prompts with conversational interactions. Customers ask questions, make requests and receive accurate, natural-voice responses. The system closely resembles a live agent with its ability to quickly understand callers' specific needs and to direct them to the correct customer service representative.

"Providing our customers with support that is easily accessible, accurate and efficient is extremely important to us," said Gene Zimon, NSTAR's Chief Information Officer. "AT&T;'s VoiceTone is an innovative solution that not only enables us to better serve and build stronger relationships with our customers but also creates cost-reducing efficiencies throughout our customer service department."

AT&T; VoiceTone also creates efficiencies within NSTAR's customer service centers. The system increases the likelihood that callers are directed to the correct service department or self-service option on the first connect, reducing the amount of time spent with each customer without compromising service. In addition, AT&T; VoiceTone increases NSTAR's call capacity and allows more customer needs to be answered during peak calling times without increasing the number of representatives.

Fore more information, check out the AT&T; press release.

According to results from the ZipRealty first quarter 2007 Housing Market Perception Survey, buyers and sellers perceive an improvement in home pricing trends and believe the housing market is beginning to stabilize, indicating sellers are more realistic with their pricing and expectations and that fewer buyers are "fence-sitting."

ZipRealty's recently-announced survey results show that a shrinking percentage difference between buyer and seller views of home price trends, a sign that both are beginning to see eye-to-eye. The percentage difference between buyers and sellers who believe prices will decline decreased from 26 percent in the fourth quarter 2006 to only 19 percent in the first quarter 2007, while the percentage difference between buyers and sellers who think prices will increase declined from 10 percent to six percent.

"As we enter the prime summer real estate season, we believe sellers are more realistic with their pricing and are more willing to negotiate and work with buyers," ZipRealty's President Patrick Lashinsky explains. "Our recent survey results support our belief that the current market continues to favor buyers, but that buyers are actively looking to submit an offer once they find the right home at the right price."

ZipRealty's most recent monthly Price Reduction Index, which tracks housing trends in 18 markets nationally, reveals a month-over-month increase in the percentage of actively listed homes with at least once reduction in listing price, a signal that sellers are lowering their expectations this spring. Additionally, the number of single family homes and condos listed for sale are up 32 percent in April 2007 compared to one year ago.

For more information, check out the ZipRealty press release.

XM Satellite Radio announced earlier this month that it has reached a multi-year agreement with FOX Sports to become the exclusive satellite radio network of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game and other BCS games, beginning January 2008.

"College sports is a very important element of our programming strategy, and these games are a must for college football fans," said Eric Logan, executive vice president of programming, XM Satellite Radio. "These games help reinforce XM Radio's position as the ultimate destination for people who love college sports. FOX Sports is a longtime partner of XM, and we're very excited to be working together to bring live coverage of these games to fans across the country."

"FOX Sports is pleased to have reached a multi-year BCS rights agreement with XM, the nation's leading satellite radio service," said FOX Sports COO Larry Jones. "The BCS is a true jewel in the nation's sports landscape, and everything we do in conjunction with it needs to be top-notch."

"The BCS is pleased to have XM as the exclusive satellite home of the Allstate BCS National Championship Game as well as the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the FedEx Orange Bowl. College football fans all over the country now will be able to listen to these BCS games virtually anywhere," said BCS Coordinator Mike Slive.

The games are the latest addition to XM's line-up of college sports programming. XM is the official satellite radio network of the college sports conferences ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, and SEC. More than eight million subscribers across the U.S. listen to XM on radios for the car, home, and portable use. XM puts a special emphasis on serving "displaced" sports fans who cannot hear their favorite teams on local outlets.

For more information, check out the XM Satellite Radio press release.

Earlier this month, AT&T; announced a new phase of the company's branding strategy. AT&T; kicked off this phase by replacing the Cingular brand with AT&T; on all in-store signage, store kiosks, and point-of-sale materials in approximately 1,800 company-owned wireless retail stores. In addition, key stores in major markets also unveiled new exterior signage displaying the new brand.

The decision to move to this phase of the branding campaign is based on research that indicates that consumer awareness of AT&T; is high and ahead of expectations.

The store makeovers are also critical to prepare for the late-June launch of the Apple iPhone, for which AT&T; will be the exclusive wireless provider in the United States. Many company-owned stores have also installed kiosks promoting the complete array of AT&T; services—wireless, high-speed Internet, TV and home phone service—in the company's traditional service areas.

These broader service offerings are part of the company's ongoing efforts to integrate its wireline and wireless businesses and further strengthen its position as a complete provider of communications and entertainment services.

"Consolidating BellSouth and Cingular under the AT&T; brand was based on extensive market research and is proving to be the right decision," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T;'s chief operating officer. "Our branding campaign is performing at and above projected levels and customer response has been very positive. We are excited to move into the next phase of transforming AT&T; into the only communications provider our customers will ever want."

As part of its branding initiative, AT&T; is also now beginning to replace Cingular with the AT&T; brand in voice greetings, on new customer handsets and handset screen displays and on envelopes and statements. In addition, exteriors of most company-owned retail locations are expected to be branded as AT&T; by September, with branding of agent-owned retail stores expected to be completed by January 2008. Many of the company's high-profile sponsorships such as "American Idol" and NASCAR will be transitioned soon as well.

"The newest phase of our branding campaign communicates that AT&T; is a leader in wireless as well as in other communications and entertainment services," said Wendy Clark, senior vice president ??? AT&T; Advertising. "Our goal is to let the public know that AT&T; offers perhaps the best choices, values and convenience in the marketplace across our extensive portfolio for the communications services they want and need."

In addition to AT&T;'s wireless/wireline integration initiatives, the BellSouth brand transition campaign has also been very successful. According to weekly research numbers, unaided advertising awareness of AT&T; in the former BellSouth region has increased sevenfold.

For more information, check out the AT&T; press release.