By Annabelle Roser As solar energy becomes more accessible to everyday consumers, the financial incentives of owning solar panels can be hard to pass up. The benefits of subsidizing or eliminating your energy bills through net-metering can be especially enticing to retirees or those on fixed incomes. Recently, I met…...
Like music to her ears : CUB helps violin instructor slash phone bill by $81
Imelda Kaminski, a violin instructor who’s been playing the instrument for 60 years, depended on her home phone service even more after her husband underwent spinal surgery—with all the calls to family, friends and doctors. Her husband’s recovery was her only concern until her AT&T bill arrived. It had soared…...
Stop: The “Raise Our Utility Bills Act”
New legislation was introduced in Washington this month that would kill efficiency standards and potentially hit Americans with billions of dollars in higher utility costs. H.R. 117 is called the “Energy Efficiency Free Market Act of 2017,” but a better name would be the “Raise Our Utility Bills Act.” The…...
Cut TV costs with CUB’s free guide
On Tuesday morning, CUB held a news conference to release a first-ever guide to help Illinois consumers cut their TV bills. You can receive a copy of CUB’s Guide to Cutting Your TV Costs—which includes information for both “cord shavers” and “cord cutters”— by visiting www.CUBCableCenter.com. (While you’re there, remember…...
General Assembly passes historic energy efficiency standards
On the last day of the General Assembly’s veto session, legislators passed Senate Bill 2814, a measure that will spark lower utility bills by establishing historic energy efficiency standards for Illinois’ biggest electric utilities. On Thursday evening, the Illinois House passed the measure, also called the “Future Energy Jobs Bill,” 63-38,…...
How low should you set your thermostat?
If you live in a household with multiple people, a couple degrees on the thermostat could spark the biggest arguments. So, let’s settle it once and for all: Where should you set your home’s temperature? The Department of Energy says setting your thermostat back 7-10 degrees from its normal setting for eight hours…...
South suburban mom scores smart thermostat
Saving energy and money have always been top priorities for Anam El-Jabli and her family. But the purchase of a new air conditioner last year made it hard for them to afford other appliances. Then the stay-at-home mom read about CUB’s Smart Thermostat Giveaway in the group’s weekly e-newsletter. “I’m an active follower…...
