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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,…...

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Move to Miami? Here’s what you do to battle the cold!

We were overwhelmed with responses to our October poll asking people to share their best winter efficiency tip. We randomly selected one respondent–Jack, from Evanston–to win $100. His tip turned out to be one of the most unique out of the 200+ responses we received. Jack said he has a “long,…...

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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…...

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Efficiency helps CUB winner cut power bills by $50

It’s been 40 years since Henry Kelso has won anything, which explains why he was shocked to learn he had won The CUB Voice Green Giveaway. The East Galesburg resident was randomly selected from 253 CUB members to win $100 and a solar cell phone charger in the watchdog group’s summer giveaway.…...

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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…...

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Folks, we have a winner…

Cue the drum roll: We’re pleased to announce that Donna H. is the lucky winner of CUB’s “Biggest Energy Hog” summer quick poll! The Chicago-resident beat out more than 2,350 other hopefuls to snag CUB’s top prize—$100 off her power bill and two super-efficient light bulbs. Her name was randomly…...

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Free energy-saving products!

Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas and ComEd have all partnered to bring homeowners free and discounted energy-saving products to reduce their home’s energy and water use. Participants will receive a free personalized home energy assessment along with the installation of discounted energy-saving products: Programmable thermostat WaterSense® certified showerheads Pipe insulation Smart…...

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Saved from a high phone bill, retiree says: ‘Illinois consumers need CUB’

By Samantha Vercellino Last October, Chicago retiree Cassandra packed her bags and moved across town to the West Side of the city. She welcomed the change in scenery until she found out a new address also meant she had to switch to pricey digital phone service. Before the move, she…...

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A ‘greener’ take on this year’s holiday gift giving

By Samantha Vercellino Gift shopping can be stressful, especially when the holiday is right around the corner. But don’t fret; we’ve put together a list of our five favorite “green” gifts of 2015! Smart Crock-Pot: Unlike most slow cookers, the Smart Crock-Pot is Wi-Fi enabled which allows users to adjust its temperature…...

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#GivingTuesday kicks off today!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. Now it’s time to welcome Giving Tuesday—a global day dedicated to giving back. We’re celebrating this special day by sharing a few stories of how our consumer advocacy team comes to the rescue of Illinois consumes every day. In 2015, the team…...

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