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Efficiency

CUB’s free tool helped her save $528 a year

CUB Energy Saver, our free online service that helps people cut their utility bills, has a new look designed to make our pocketbo0ks happy. Ale Lopez is already there. The Hanover Park woman credits the free tool with helping her save $528 a year. “Without a doubt, I think that CUB Energy Saver…...

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Act now to avoid skyrocketing electric prices

We’ve been updating you on two developments that could have disastrous consequences for your power bills.  Now’s the time to act to protect YOUR interests. ComEd customers:  Tell Congress to fix a terrible court ruling that could increase your rates by 20% A recent federal court ruling stripped power grid operator PJM (the…...

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Nobel Prize winners put LEDs in the spotlight

Three scientists earned this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue light-emitting diode (LED)–an essential part of creating white light from LED lamps. Red and green LEDs had been around since the 1960s, but blue LEDs had been a challenge for scientists for years. In the 1990s, however, Isamu Akasaki,…...

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Hallelujah! Feds expect lower heating bills this winter

By Samantha Vercellino With federal experts predicting natural gas, electricity and propane costs to fall this winter due to above-average temperatures, Midwesterners can sleep a bit easier knowing another polar vortex blast doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. Warmer winter weather and lower fuel consumption means Midwesterners will pay…...

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An expensive court decision for ComEd customers

We told you last week about an Appellate Court decision that could increase future ComEd power prices by 20 percent! It all revolves around energy efficiency programs known as “Demand Response”– aka”negawatts.” That’s when the manager of the power grid, an organization called PJM, pays huge industrial customers to shift…...

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Is your home ready for winter?

by Samantha Vercellino Now that it’s October, winter doesn’t seem that far away. Follow CUB’s tips to get your home ready for the frigid months ahead. Seal windows and doors. Even though your windows and doors are shut, heat could still be escaping through small gaps and crevices that aren’t…...

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Enrollment starts for ComEd’s Peak Time Savings

If you’ve heard the phrase “smart meter” being tossed around a lot lately, you may be wondering what all the hullabaloo is about. One of the exciting things about ComEd’s upgrades to the power grid is the potential for consumers to take advantage of unique money-saving pricing programs like Peak Time…...

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Court ruling threatens ComEd customers with 20% rate hike

We received bad news recently out of Washington: A ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit could spark a 20 percent increase in the supply rate charged by ComEd. In addition to fighting nearly $1 billion in rate hikes, CUB for years has pushed…...

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Tips for an energy-efficient kitchen

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, it’s tempting to turn the oven on, throw in a casserole, and warm the kettle for some evening tea.  But all that kitchen work can crank up your electricity usage. Follow these tips to cook up a storm–without burning up the bills: Buy only Energy…...

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Leading the nation: CUB, EDF push for a smarter, cleaner power grid in Illinois

Part of CUB’s watchdog role is making sure Illinois’ two biggest utilities do the “smart grid” right. That’s why CUB and the Environmental Defense Fund have just made a major proposal before state regulators to make sure $3 billion in historic upgrades to the power grid work for consumers. CUB…...

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