Evanston Kicks Off Energy Saving Competition

At a press conference Mar. 7, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) awarded Evanston for energy savings and announced a yearlong energy-saving competition.  In an effort to conserve energy, Evanston is partnering with the CUB to host “The Big 7 Savers Challenge,” in which seven Evanston-based employers will compete to save the most energy. 

“We came in first so we’re very proud but that’s nothing compared to what we’re going to do.  We’re going to do much better,” said Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl.  We are pleased to partner with the Citizens Utility Board on the Big 7 Savers Challenge in which we will focus our energy and resources in helping our citizens and community reduce residential energy use.

Last year, Evanston bested all other Illinois communities saving $6,542 or 50,341 killowatt-hours of electricity. CUB rewarded Evanston with 21,650 Compact Fluorescent light bulbs for winning the competition.  “Our citizens reduced their energy usage, which resulted in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that is equivalent to 4,000 gallons of gasoline consumed,” Tisdahl said.

In the Big 7 Savers Challenge, employers must build the biggest team of Evanston residential homeowners. The company will collect points based on the amount of the energy savings per home during the next year.  According to CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen, any Evanston resident can sign up on the CUB energy saver website, as long as that person is a ComEd Customer and not already a CUB member.

“We believe there’s no other tool in the country as customized and comprehensive as this,” Chilsen said. 

Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board David Kolata agrees with Chilsen, calling CUB Energy Saver unique to the nation. “First, it gives you hundreds of personalized actions tailored to you and your individualized circumstances to cut your utility bills.  Second, it connects to ComEd bills to track your actual, not estimated, savings due to those actions so we can prove the savings that result.  Third it rewards you with gift cards, rest deals and shopping discounts for cutting your ComEd bill,” Kolata said.  “So in a sense, CUB energy saver gives you green for being green.”

In fact, CUB Energy Saver is the nation’s first online service to pay people rewards fro cutting their power bills. And some Evanston businesses are partnering with CUB to give away reward offers when residents save a certain amount of energy. Chaz Nutrition & Health, the Olive Mountain, Al’s Italian Beef, Lu Lu Dim Sum, and Husky Husky Bakery are some of the businesses awarding discounts.

Evanston Township High School, NorthShore University Health System, City of Evanston Employees, Rotary International, St. Francis Hospital, Northwestern University Employees, and District 65 are the seven employers competing in this challenge.  To participate, sign up for CUB Energy Saver on their website and click on one of the teams. The amount of energy saved will be tracked by CUB and added to the employer’s total.  The two top winning residences of the competition will receive free energy for the next year.

Tisdahl said, “We were proud to win the CUB competition last year and want to challenge ourselves even more this year.”