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Village pushes energy saving program
August 19, 2011 — Buffalo Grove is hoping its residents will save a little energy – and a little money – through a new program it’s offering through the Citizens Utility Board.
By Michelle Stoffel, TribLocal The Energy Saver program is free, for both residents and the village, and offers residents the ability to track their energy savings online. The basic concept is awareness, Deputy Village Manager Ghida Neukirch said. “We’re promoting it because it’s just the right thing to do environmentally,” she said. “It provides valuable information to residents as well as businesses and also saves them some money.” The site offers solutions for homeowners looking to cut down on their energy usage, from no-cost steps like turning out lights to improvements like buying a more energy-efficient refrigerator. Residents can take it one step further by connecting their Energy Saver account to their ComEd account to track their savings. They can also predict how much a step, such as buying five new light bulbs, would save them, said Christine Del Priore, the community marketing coordinator for CUB Energy Saver. Participants receive points for how much they’ve saved and can then cash in those points through Recycle Bank and earn discounts at national retailers. Residents earn 100 points for signing up their ComEd bill, and then 2 points for each kilowatt hour saved over the same billing period last year. Residents can see an aggregate savings for Energy Saver users in Buffalo Grove, as well as any other team they join. But beyond those reported numbers, the site has bank-level security, Del Priore said. To join, go to Cubenergysaver.com/teams/BuffaloGrove. Tweet |