By Samantha Vercellino Polar vortex or not, winter is always cold—but staying warm and cozy shouldn’t break the bank. Follow CUB’s simple tips to live comfortably, and save, during the bitter cold. Heat efficiently. Your heating system, like any other machinery in your home, will eventually break down. That’s why…...
How to be an energy-efficient pet owner
By Samantha Vercellino We love our pets—so much that we celebrate 115 pet awareness events throughout the year! (Don’t believe me? Check for yourself.) But living with a furry, feathery or scaly sidekick can make it a real challenge to be energy efficient. Follow these simple actions to make sure…...
FERC launches probe of Central, Southern IL power market
Federal regulators have listened to Attorney General Lisa Madigan and more than 3,000 CUB Action Network members who called for an investigation of the electricity market in Central and Southern Illinois after consumers were hit with a 30 percent price spike. Here are the developments since CUB held a media…...
So what the heck is a green plan?
Crain’s Chicago Business has shined a spotlight on a “green” plan offered by Ethical Electric, which has been CUB’s biggest source of questions this year among dozens of alternative electric and gas suppliers. A direct mail piece by Ethical is short on detail on the plan’s actual cost, and how it…...
Big Exelon announcement opens the door for Illinois Clean Jobs Bill
Ending months of speculation about the fate of its Quad Cities and Byron nuclear power plants, ComEd-parent Exelon announced today that it would put off a decision about those plants for another year. As consumers brace for higher power bills due to recent electricity auctions, this development provides a unique opportunity to…...
CUB staffer teaches her brother that being efficient pays
By Samantha Vercellino For years, Atukwe Newell listened to his younger sister (and CUB Staffer) Yami Newell, talk about the benefits of being energy efficient. But he wasn’t sold. Now he’s biting his tongue and singing his sister’s praises after she helped him cut his electricity usage about 50 percent…...
Give your AC a helping hand during heat waves
Twenty years ago, I was struggling through the infamous 1995 heatwave…by cuddling with frozen vegetables. As a cub reporter for The Associated Press in Milwaukee, I spent my days (July 11-27, 1995) helping to record a heart-breaking toll: 85 heat-related deaths in Milwaukee, another 465 in Chicago. My nights were…...
Editorial roundup: the battle to protect electric customers in Springfield
Springfield is abuzz with two very different pieces of energy legislation, one that could help electric customers and another that could hurt them. One is the Illinois Clean Jobs bill (House Bill 2607/Senate Bill 1485), which would increase energy efficiency and renewable energy standards in Illinois. A CUB analysis found that the…...
