1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ujHTDuVpN6"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2024/11/03/cub-supporters-supply-great-photos-for-clean-energy-action-month-contest-and-one-lucky-participant-wins-a-gift-card/">CUB supporters supply great photos for Clean Energy Action Month contest–and one lucky participant wins a gift card!</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2024/11/03/cub-supporters-supply-great-photos-for-clean-energy-action-month-contest-and-one-lucky-participant-wins-a-gift-card/embed/#?secret=ujHTDuVpN6" width="600" height="338" title="“CUB supporters supply great photos for Clean Energy Action Month contest–and one lucky participant wins a gift card!” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="ujHTDuVpN6" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> Congratulations to Paul from LaGrange for being randomly selected to win a $100 gift card as part of CUB’s Clean Energy Action Month photo contest. “I’m surprised!” Paul exclaimed. And thanks to all the CUB supporter who gave us great photos. In honor of Clean Energy Action Month, CUB held the contest throughout the month of October. We asked CUB supporters to take a photo of themselves or family members with a clean energy item–anything from super-efficient light bulbs to solar panels to wind turbines. (We promised to randomly select one entrant to win a gift card to a home-improvement store on Nov. 1–and that’s how Paul won.) CUB urged people to be creative and have fun–and Paul took the guidance to heart, sending along a lightbulb joke with the snapshot of himself and a new LED. “How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?” he wrote. “Only one, but the bulb must want to change!” As a retired auditor for the Illinois State Board of Education, Paul told CUB: “I came to understand the value and importance of the thankless job of  ‘watching the store.’ (Seems everybody wants accountability, but nobody wants to be checked.)” When he retired, Paul said he headed up his AFSCME union’s local “retiree sub-chapter” and often invited CUB speakers to give helpful, money-saving tips at their meetings. “In a world where we so often find we have problems we can’t do anything about, the Citizens Utility Board is an idea that let’s any of us participate in helping our state government tackle the huge job of providing the necessary regulating of useful monopolies,” Paul wrote. “Some believe that only ‘the Market’ can do this, but this idea throws away the economies of scale that well regulated utilities provide.” Not everyone could win a gift card, like Paul, but CUB’s communications team bestowed some of our own awards on the gallery of photos we received. Most Creative Use of Photoshop Award: Jim from Berwyn. Jim sent in a drone photo of the solar system he had installed four years ago through a group-buy program that CUB promotes. He used Photoshop to insert himself, with walking staff, on the roof, overlooking his panels.  “Not sure if that’s acceptable,” Jim writes, “but that would be the only way you would get me up on a roof. (I’m a really ‘scardy cat’ when it comes to heights!)” (Note: We bent the rules and accepted your submission. We commend you on your entertaining use of Photoshop. The CUB staff got a big kick out of  your photo!) Jim adds that he takes the “environment and trying to do good for it seriously.” In fact, he looks forward to using Inflation Reduction Act rebates to replace his 30-year-old gas water heater with an electric hybrid heater, and he is considering getting a heat pump HVAC system as well as a heat pump clothes dryer. “If I could do that, then I could SHUT OFF my GAS service, which would be awesome!” he writes. He’d also like to add more solar panels to his current system. Carry on, Jim. Good […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Paul-D-M-with-LEDs-300x225.jpg