Sarah McCarthy is interested in all things sustainability-oriented. With that in mind, Sarah decided to participate in a CUB energy consultation at a bill clinic on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. The goal of an energy consultation is to provide techniques to save energy and lower your electric and natural gas bills…
Published May 7, 2018 Energy bill consultations are one of CUB’s key outreach services. With a free one-on-one consultation, we help people find ways to save energy in their homes or apartments. Keep reading to find out what you can expect from an energy consultation and how to get one! Why have a bill consultation?…
A fundamental goal of energy policy has been to reduce the amount of electricity used as much as possible. That is, until recently. Now, the power sector is rapidly changing, more clean energy generation is coming online, and new goals are emerging. We still want to squeeze every bit of efficiency out of our energy…
Working at Citizens Utility Board (CUB) as the outreach intern has given me the knowledge and tools to lower my utility bills. I am excited to share my tools and tricks, but let me first highlight the journey. Prior to CUB, my two roommates and I were paying an average of $130-$135 a month for…
Sammi Cook-Kuehn, a real estate agent focused on energy efficient properties, is always looking to learn more and promote sustainable and environmentally friendly living. That’s what brought Sammi to a CUB energy consultation with our outreach director, Carmen Carruthers, in January. It turned into a great opportunity for us to share information on home energy…
Spring is finally here and for many people that means spring cleaning. Clean up more than your home this spring, clean up your energy bills as well. Energy audits are a great way to uncover opportunities to save energy and money. CUB posted a blog about the benefits of energy audits last summer. We’re writing about…
It is officially spring, but spring is a tricky business in Minnesota. Sometimes we get a few months of spring, sometimes a few weeks. We’ve come up with a list of spring energy saving tips for you to implement as appropriate. Due to the ever-changing temperatures, we are also including links to our winter and…
As readers of this blog know, last year, I represented CUB on a state task force to identify consumer protections that would be needed to allow Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for Minnesota homeowners. PACE allows property owners to make energy improvements by taking out loans that they then repay through their property taxes….
Were you aware that a significant portion of your energy costs come from the handful of hours each year that customers use the most energy? Everyone expects their lights to come on without fail no matter what time of day it is. This means utilities must build and maintain expensive power plants with the sole…
Making your new year to-do list? Maybe building a budget? If you are a homeowner, there are likely quite a few things on your to do list. I’d guess there are a lot of demands on your household budget too: mortgage, insurance, property taxes, maintenance and inevitably some improvements needed or desired. Let’s talk improvements,…
