Pledge Rules

Reduce Energy Use DC Pledge
Official Rules

NO CONTRIBUTION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN
A CONTRIBUTION OR PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING

The COVID-19 epidemic is having a significant effect on our lives in D.C. and across the nation. As we stay at home for our collective safety, we are using more electricity to power our work, school and daily activities. This increased energy usage may not only be impacting your bills but could also be contributing to climate change. We can all take simple steps, today and every day, to do good for both our wallets and the environment. The Reduce Energy Use DC Pledge (the “Pledge”) raises awareness on how to use energy more efficiently, take steps to reduce energy at our homes and save money while helping fight climate change.

Environmental, business and community groups have come together to host the Pledge in the District of Columbia. Potomac Electric Power Company (“Pepco”), the District Department of Energy and Environment and the Sustainable Energy Utility are founding partners of the Pledge. For a full list of partnering organizations, visit www.ReduceEnergyUseDC.com.

Pepco has the full responsibility of reviewing energy usage data used for the Pledge and customer data is protected by privacy laws as well as internal Pepco policies. Customer data will not be shared with partnering organizations.

For the purposes of these Rules, the words “you” and “your” will mean, as applicable, any eligible individual who registers and participates in the Pledge. Each individual who properly and timely registers to participate in the Pledge is referred to as a “Contestant.”

Eligibility Requirements:

To participate in the Pledge, you must be an individual resident in the District of Columbia and take the pledge on www.ReduceEnergyUseDC.com by the Pledge Deadline (as defined below). Only one pledge per individual and only one prize per individual will be allowed. Any winner of a prize for participating in the Pledge (including in a prior year) is not eligible for a second prize.

At the time of entry, each Contestant must enter by the Pledge Deadline and satisfy the “How to Enter” requirements by submitting name, address, phone number, email address and selecting any and all of the following categories that apply to you: Seniors – 60 and over; Pepco customers receiving the Residential Aid Discount; Pepco customers; Residents who do not receive a Pepco bill. Winners will be selected through random drawings as described below. No more than one prize will be awarded to an individual during the Drawing Period. If an individual’s entry is drawn as a winner, that person will become ineligible for future drawings during the Drawing Period (as defined below). Pepco will have the final determination, in its sole and absolute discretion, to determine the Category for each Contestant.

We hope all DC residents take the Pledge and encourage others to join. We will recognize individuals that have taken the Pledge that are also top social media users (“Social Activators”). Social Activators will win prizes in 3 categories: most popular social media post (please keep it clean and positive) (1 winner); and top student post (1 winner). Pepco reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to eliminate from consideration any social media post it considers offensive, derogatory, not in the spirit of the Pledge or that we otherwise consider objectionable.

Employees, contractors and vendors of Pepco or any of the partnering organizations supporting the Pledge and their respective parent companies and affiliates may take the Pledge.

You must be at least eighteen (18) years old and be an individual resident in the District of Columbia.

The Pledge:

The goal is to reduce energy use year-round, but the Pledge will use July as a test month. Electricity use typically peaks in the summer, resulting in higher bills and more emissions. In July 2019, the District of Columbia consumed more than 1.1 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, equivalent to the emissions of more than 170,000 cars on the road for a year. If you’re a Pepco customer, when you take the Pledge you will receive via email Weekly Usage Reports beginning a soon as practicable on or after July 7^th, which will give you tips on how to save energy and compare your energy usage to your prior week’s consumption. Whether or not you’re a Pepco customer, additional tips will be shared via email, social media, and on our website.

Time Zone:

All times stated in this Pledge will be eastern time zone in effect on the stated day.

How to Enter:

If you meet all of the eligibility requirements stated above, you are eligible to enter the Pledge by submitting your: name, address, phone number, email address, Pledge Category, and by selecting “I am a DC resident and have read, understand, and agree to comply with the Rules of this Pledge” to the website www.ReduceEnergyUseDC.com by 11:59 pm July 7^th, 2020 (the “Pledge Deadline”). Alternative methods to enter the Pledge are to call 202.872.2020 or tollfree at 855.673.3823 by the Pledge Deadline.

Random Drawings:

Prize Winners for the Pledge will be selected based on random drawings. Pepco’s decision regarding a random drawing is final and in its sole discretion. Random drawings will occur at the following times (the “Drawing Period”): every other week in starting April 29th until July 1st (6 total winners, regardless of category); and in August, only for the following categories – Winner per Ward (1 winner for each of 8 Wards, 8 winners), Seniors – 60 and over (5 winners), and Pepco customers receiving the Residential Aid Discount (4 winners).

Social Activator Categories:

We recognize the power of your voice in social media. We encourage you to be creative in engaging the Pledge. Therefore, we want to recognize the social media posts that receive public engagement and prizes also will be awarded for top Social Activators in the following categories: most popular social media post (1 winner); and top student post (1 winner) . The most popular social media post will be measured by likes of a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post that tags @ReduceEnergyDC and uses the hashtag #SaveMoreThanMoney.

After taking the Pledge, you will have the option to share your Pledge online using a unique link generated by ReduceEnergyUseDC.com. This link allows the website to track sign-ups made from your sharing on social media.

Prizes:

Prizes for the random drawings and Social Activator categories are as follows: (i) Pepco customers who are winners will receive a $300 credit on their electric bill; (ii) non-Pepco customers who are winners may either (a) give the “Gift of Energy” and assign the $300 credit to a friend or relative who is a Pepco customer, or (b) choose a nonprofit to receive a $300 donation in the winner’s name. Each prize is guaranteed to be awarded except if the prize is forfeited by a winner. In such circumstances, Pepco assumes no responsibility (monetary or otherwise) to award the prize.

Winners of the random drawings will be notified by email and/or by phone immediately following the random drawing and will be instructed how to claim or make a gift of the prize, as applicable. The winners of the Social Activators categories will be notified after August 10^th, 2021. The winners in each drawing will also be promoted in social media advertising and/or posts on Energy Efficiency Day 2021, which was established as the first Wednesday of October by a Mayoral Proclamation and a Ceremonial Resolution by the Council of the District of Columbia.

Odds of Winning:

Your odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible Contestants that have taken the Pledge by the Pledge Deadline. Pepco’s decisions regarding qualification and winning status are final and in its sole discretion.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Taxes: All taxes, including federal, state and local taxes, are the sole responsibility of each winner. If applicable, the winner will be issued an IRS 1099 tax form.

Prize Acceptance: Prizes are not exchangeable or transferable (except as specifically described above) and may not be partially awardable. No substitution or cash redemption for non-cash prizes will be allowed except by Pepco, who may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if an advertised component of the prize becomes unavailable. A Contestant may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility (“Affidavit”) and Agreement of Publicity, and Release of Liability (“Agreement”) within seven (7) days of their winning notification. If a prize winner cannot be contacted within three (3) business days after the first attempt to contact him, her or them at the email address or phone number provided with the entry, or if the potential winner does not sign and return the Affidavit and Agreement in the required time period, the prize will be deemed forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected from among all remaining Contestants, if any.

Conditions: THIS SECTION IMPOSES LIMITATIONS OR CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTESTANTS. By accepting a Prize, you:

Consent to the use of your name, photo and submission, state of residence, Pledge Category and likeness for advertising or Pledge purposes in any media worldwide in connection with the Pledge, without limitation and without additional compensation worldwide, except where prohibited by law.
Agree to give Pepco permission to obtain, utilize and share commentary, video, submission, photographs, and information related to the amount of energy saved with Pepco partners or interested parties (as determined by Pepco) as well as in any marketing communications mediums now known or yet to be invented.

By partaking in the Pledge you:

Agree to receive Pledge-related emails, including Weekly Usage Reports (“WURs”) and/or energy-saving tips. For Pepco customers, the WURs emails compare your energy usage to your prior week’s usage, as applicable, and give tips on how to save energy usage.
If you’re a Pepco customer, after the Pledge ends, agree to receive an email comparing your electricity use in July 2020 and July 2019.

Conditions: Pepco and its agents are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Pledge; computer, online, or technical malfunctions; delays or human errors that occur in the processing, transmission or receipt of entries, or delays caused by computer transmissions; or any injury or damage to persons or property, including but not limited to entrants’ computers, hardware and/or software, which may be caused directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants’ participation in the Pledge or receipt, redemption or use of any prize.

If, for any reason, the Pledge is not capable of being conducted as planned, including but not limited to infection by computer viruses, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, customer outages, weather, or other causes, Pepco reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Pledge. Pepco also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual found to be violating these Official Rules or suspected of attempting to disrupt or defraud the entry process or the operation of the Pledge, and Pepco may prosecute or seek other legal redress against anyone suspected of engaging in these acts. No automated entry devices and/or programs are permitted. Pepco is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, incomplete, invalid, misdirected, mutilated, technically corrupted or garbled entries (which will be disqualified) or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic.

Internet Specific Terms: In the event of a dispute, entries made by Internet will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. The "authorized account holder" is deemed the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, service provider or other online organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. A potential winner may be requested to provide Pepco with proof that the potential winner is the authorized holder or user of the email address associated with the winning entry.

For Pepco customers: (i) Pepco will verify that the Contestant’s name, email address, and / or phone number matches the information in the Pepco account; (ii) if Pepco is not able to verify that the Contestant is in fact the customer of record, then Pepco will attempt to contact the Pepco customer of record to verify the entry into the Pledge; and (iii) if Pepco is unable to verify that the Contestant is the same person as the Pepco account holder, then Pepco will not send energy usage information to the Contestant.

Pepco assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Pepco is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or entry to be received by Pepco on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, any combination thereof, or otherwise, including any injury or damage to entrant’s or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in the Pledge.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, PEPCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Name of Winners: To obtain the names of the winners (available after August 20^th, 2021), go to www.ReduceEnergyUseDC.com.

Sponsor: The Pledge is being sponsored by Pepco in partnership with the co-founding organizations, the District Department of Energy and Environment and the Sustainable Energy Utility.

Pepco reserves the right to modify the terms, conditions and eligibility requirements outlined in these Official Rules at any time without notice.