The $189 million hidden tax on our power bills
News Room | Columns by CUB's Executive Director | The $189 million hidden tax on our power bills
Turns out that making little changes around the house—buying better light bulbs, closing blinds on hot days, and turning off the coffee maker—could save ComEd customers a total of $189 million a year, more than enough to wipe out the utility's increase.
CUB's report, "Making Every Kilowatt Count," is based on an analysis of data from more than 11,000 Illinois consumers who have signed up for CUBEnergySaver.com. That's our free online service that recommends hundreds of no-cost and low-cost actions to cut utility costs.
Over its first 12 months of operation, CUB Energy Saver has shown how we're getting clobbered by kilowatt-hours we just don't need, and we pay a hefty price tag for that squandered energy. From June 2010 to May 2011, CUB Energy Saver:
· Showed participants how to reduce annual electricity waste by an average of 5.5 percent, to save $55 a year on power bills. Expanding that figure to ComEd's 3.4 million residential customers means a potential savings of $189 million a year.
· Found that consumers could be overpaying on their heating bills by an average of $49 a year.
That means consumers could each be burning up an extra $104 of wasted energy on their electric and gas bills—every year. The good news is there are simple ways to save.
Take Dave Johnson, of Des Plaines, who signed up for the service and estimates he cut his utility bills in half. Plus, he gained at least $40 in gift cards for groceries through a CUB Energy Saver rewards program designed to boost economic development by giving shopping discounts to users who reduce their electricity waste.
"I thought I was being sensible with my energy bill…but I realized there were a lot of things I could do," Johnson said.
While the service recommends actions such as buying an efficient air conditioner, CUB's report found that the five most popular tips over the last 12 months were much simpler. Here they are, along with potential savings:
· Replace home lights with Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs ($54 a year);
· Use blinds on summer days ($19 a year);
· Wash larger loads of dishes ($35 a year);
· Turn off coffee maker after brewing ($29 a year);
· Use "smart strips" for plugs ($26 a year).
Nobody likes to hear that we could be overpaying by $189 million a year. But joining CUBEnergySaver.com can help you turn that black hole into big savings.