With the winter heating season beginning Oct. 1, it’s time to get your home ready for cold weather. Outside: Repair damaged shingles, windows and doors. Clear your gutters of any leaves or debris to prevent any roof damage. Inspect your yard for any tree branches that could interfere with power…...
Beat the Heat with Summer Safety Tips
The best energy efficiency is energy efficiency practiced safely. Temperature Safety: Don’t keep your home too hot or too cold to save money– never set the thermostat at a temperature that threatens your health. Efficiency is all about safety and comfort. Set your thermostat from 76 to 78 degrees for…...
Preparing for an Expensive Summer: Your Energy Efficiency Shopping List
In 2021, homes across the country used about 235 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to cool their homes–that’s about 16 percent of total residential energy consumption. So as we prepare for an expensive summer, it pays to improve your home’s efficiency. CUB put together a home-improvement shopping list for better energy…...
The UN’s Bold Climate Change Solution
A United Nations panel has released its third and final report on climate change, and following the dire warnings in the first two installments, this one strikes a hopeful tone with scientists’ plans for the world’s path forward. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the last…...
For Earth Month (and every month): Fight Climate Change at Home
You can reduce your carbon footprint with a few simple tips to help you save money, save the planet, and save your peace of mind. Utility-Based Programs Check with your utility about any energy efficiency programs available to residents. Free at-home energy assessments are offered by ComEd and Ameren. They…...
General Assembly passes historic energy bill: Now begins the hard work of implementation
The General Assembly has passed landmark energy legislation that consumer and environmental advocates have worked for years to achieve. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act puts Illinois on a path to 100 percent clean energy while implementing the strongest utility ethics reforms and energy efficiency provisions in state history. And…...
BREAKING: Illinois House passes nation-leading clean energy legislation
The Illinois House late Thursday passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Senate Bill 2408)–historic, comprehensive clean energy legislation. The legislation now heads to the Senate on Monday for a final vote. (Urge your senator to say YES to this legislation.) SB 2408 passed 83-33 in the House. The Illinois…...
Big step forward: Illinois Senate passes energy bill, now it’s on to the House
After more than two years pushing for comprehensive energy legislation that fights climate change and secures clean, affordable energy for Illinois, we’ve taken a key step forward this month. In the wee hours of the morning Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Illinois Senate passed legislation and sent it to the House.…...
CUB Q&A: What’s a heat pump, and how is it a key to our clean energy future?
With the ever-changing landscape of utilities and energy in Illinois, one topic that has recently gained traction is the use of heat pump systems. In addition to their potential to save consumers money, heat pumps are frequently cited as a way to promote more equitable changes in energy policy, and decarbonize buildings around the state. But…...
