On Earth Day, it’s a good time to evaluate how you can be more energy-efficient. At CUB, we believe energy efficiency not only helps the environment, but also can help save you money.
Here are some quick tasks you can do this Earth Day that can save some green for the Earth…and your wallet:
Click the image for a chance to win a free smart thermostat.
- Invest in a smart thermostat. With summer right around the corner, take the time to switch to a smart thermostat. It can adjust your home to the optimal temperature automatically, and it lets you control your home’s temperature from anywhere on your smartphone. Ameren and ComEd offer rebates up to $100 for smart thermostats. Bonus: Right now, you can enter CUB’s giveaway for the chance to win a free Nest or Ecobee smart thermostat.
- Swap out your light bulbs for LEDs. Replacing just five lights in your home with energy-efficient LED bulbs can save you upwards of $45 per year. They use up to 80 percent less energy than standard bulbs, but last almost 25 times longer.
- Change your AC filters. As you begin using your air conditioning for the first time in months, swap out your filters to save up to 15 percent on your system’s energy consumption. Old or dirty filters can block air flow, making your AC work harder to cool your home.
- Shorten laundry day with fewer loads. Did you know washing several, small loads actually uses more water than one large load? You also spend more time drying, which uses more energy. If you have to do some small loads, your machine may have an option to set the water at a lower level.
- Purchase some certified energy-efficient products. Energy Star has hundreds of appliances to help your entire home go green. Energy Star appliances are not only designed to be the most energy-efficient, they also perform just as well (if not better) than your standard appliances.
- Go paperless. No one likes seeing a stack of bills in the mailbox, but since you have to pay them, consider going paperless. Most companies now offer paperless billing options, and customer rewards for doing so.
Visit CUB’s Clean Energy page for more helpful, money-saving tips.
