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CUB To Give Facts On Slashing Energy Bills, Efficiency Incentives Of Up To $1,500, And River Forest’s Pioneering ‘Smart-grid’ Program
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2010—As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) prepares to fight a $396 million ComEd rate-hike proposal, the watchdog group will alert River Forest consumers to a new online service that could slash energy bills by hundreds of dollars, give facts on efficiency incentives of up to $1,500, and explain how River Forest is a national pioneer in testing “smart-grid” upgrades to the power system.
Each participant at CUB’s event will receive a Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulb, which can cut electric bills by up to $50 over its lifetime. CUB’s free “Saving Energy, Saving Money” seminar is:
6 p.m., Tuesday, October 26
River Forest Community Center 8020 Madison St. River Forest "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 helps consumers build a money-saving plan perfect for their homes. So far, CUB’s tool has shown consumers how to save an average of $200 a year. Users who connect to their ComEd accounts can also earn rewards points redeemable for free or discounted items at local and national retailers. * Efficiency incentives, such as a tax credit of up to $1,500, and how to get paid $25 for having ComEd junk an old refrigerator. * Rebates of up to $400 on energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment for Nicor Gas customers. * ComEd’s “smart-grid” pilot program and how it will affect River Forest consumers. River Forest 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 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. |