Author Archives: Carmen Carruthers

Navigating energy programs: Ideas for a more user-friendly system

Published January 11, 2023 Have you, friends, or family ever felt stressed about paying an energy bill, replacing a broken water heater, or trying to keep a drafty home warm? Energy programs exist to help with all these issues. You may be able to receive direct bill assistance, free repairs, or rebates. However, looking for help…

Strategies for equitable energy efficiency program design

Published October 31, 2022 CUB is pleased to share our report: Strategies for Equitable Energy Efficiency Program Design: A toolkit for two high-priority populations in the Twin Cities: Black homeowners and property owners renting to Latinx households (pdf). As a result of nearly two years of work, CUB and our partners produced this report for…

Prepare for higher heating costs this winter

Published October 18, 2022 Rising energy costs have been big news across the world this year. As Minnesotans enter the heating season, it’s a concern here too. We’re not fans of sharing bad news, but many of us should expect noticeably higher heating costs this winter. Below are some highlights from the Winter Fuels Outlook provided…

Utility rebates can help offset the rising cost of energy

Published February 22, 2022 Most of us are feeling the effects of rising costs and are looking for ways to save money. CUB is here to share strategies to help you manage the energy piece of your household budget.   Our money and energy saving tip for today: Rebates. If you aren’t familiar with rebates offered…

CUB to partner with CERTs Seed Grant recipients

Published January 25, 2022 CUB is excited to share that the Clean Energy Resource Teams have awarded 74 Seed Grants throughout the state. Seed Grants are awarded every two years and help community focused organizations initiate energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The projects selected are meant to be innovative and promote the benefits of…

Legal protections from utility disconnection

Published December 1, 2021; Updated February 22, 2022 Facing a utility disconnection is a very stressful event. Since the beginning of the pandemic, CUB has fielded hundreds of calls from consumers worried about paying their energy bills. With heating fuel costs rising, we fear many people may struggle in the upcoming months to keep up…

Fall energy saving tips

Published September 22, 2021 After such a warm summer, some of us may be looking forward to the cooler weather of the fall season! When it comes to energy use, early fall and late spring are typically our lowest energy use months because we’re not having to heat or cool our homes very often. As a transition…

Energy Efficiency Peer Learning Cohort update

Published September 8, 2021 Since 2019, an active group of community organizations and individuals have been busy increasing their knowledge of energy policy and energy efficiency programs. This group is known as the Energy Efficiency Peer Learning Cohort. The Citizens Utility Board has the pleasure of being part of planning this effort along with the…

CARD grant update

Published September 1, 2021; Updated December 7, 2021 Last January CUB was awarded a Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The purpose of the grant was to complete a research project that will seek improvements to energy efficiency programs to better serve renter, low-income, and Black, Indigenous, and…

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