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CUB To Give Facts On Slashing Energy Bills, Efficiency Incentives Of Up To $1,500, And Chicago's Pioneering 'Smart Grid' Program At Unity Park's Earth Day
CHICAGO, April 2, 2010—As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) prepares to fight an expected ComEd
The event is:
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 17
Unity Park 2636 N. Kimball Ave Chicago "Consumers may not have a lot of faith in utilities or volatile energy markets to bring their electric and natural gas bills down, but there’s a lot they can do without ever leaving home--and CUB knows the tools to help them do that," CUB Outreach Director Sarah Moskowitz said. "Energy efficiency is a great way to take power over your power bills." Attendees will learn about: *CUB Energy Saver (www.CUBEnergySaver.com), a free online service that can help consumers build a money-saving plan perfect for their homes. So far, it has shown Illinois consumers how to save about $200,000 and cut more than 900 metric tons of carbon-dioxide pollution, the equivalent of about nine train cars full of coal. *Efficiency incentives, such as a tax credit of up to $1,500, how to get paid $25 for having ComEd junk an old refrigerator, and 15 percent discounts for buying a new room air conditioner and other energy-efficient appliances. *The state’s new “on-bill financing” law that will allow consumers to buy money-saving appliances with no upfront cost—and pay for it on their utility bills. *ComEd’s “smart-grid” pilot program and how it will affect Chicago consumers. Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood is one of the only communities in the nation where Internet-based upgrades to the electricity system are being tested for their cost-effectiveness and the potential to eliminate waste, prevent costly power outages, and save consumers billions of dollars. *CUB’s tips to cut telephone bills, including low-cost Consumer’s Choice local-calling plans that AT&T is forced to offer under a legal settlement with CUB, a $10 credit with one of the best long-distance deals in the nation, and CUB’s Cellphone Saver tool, which has shown consumers how to save an average of more than $300 a year on wireless bills. The event is part of the money-saving mission for CUB, which is appealing a $273 million ComEd increase as it prepares for another rate-hike request from the company. ComEd has said it expects to make a new push for a rate hike before September. CUB is Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog organization. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has saved consumers more than $10 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure consumer refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline, at 1-800-669-5556, or visit CUB’s award-winning website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org. |