Chitownproperty

Maybe you didn’t even realize you could do this, but almost all furnaces have an adjustable humidifier that you can set according to the indoor temperature to make things more comfortable, and maybe even cut down on those nasty winter static shocks. Some models just let you control the amount of water going into [...]

Continuing our theme of energy-saving measures, here are two stories from the Sun-Times about upgrading two major appliances, your furnace and dishwasher, to newer, more efficient models that could save you a bundle on your gas, electricity, and water bills this year.

Despite valiant attempts by the Illinois House of Representatives to reinstate the freeze on electricity rates from ComEd, Chicagoans should be bracing for at least a 25 percent hike in their bills this month. The House passed a measure to freeze ComEd’s rates another three years, after the utility company held an auction late [...]

Editor’s note: This post was my daily entry today at Chicagoist. I’m not normally this lazy, but I cross-posted it here because it seemed especially relevant to our clients
Still waiting for that $100 refund from Peoples Energy? Yeah, so are we. And it seems that we’ll be waiting a little longer [...]

A quick rundown of this past weekend’s local real estate news sections:

Ever wonder how builders can work through all that snow? Contractors don’t slow down during winter months, but they do have to take special precautions to make sure concrete and masonry cures properly.
The cost of living in college dorms has risen so high [...]

After months of warnings that energy bills this winter will skyrocket, make puppies cry, and eat your children, People’s Gas has agreed to refund $100 million to customers in Chicago and the North Shore. The settlement is the result of People’s shady dealings with Enron in 1999. The company is not supposed to [...]

AKA, Don’t Let That Space Heater Burn the House Down

Were those predictions about massive winter heating bills premature? This winter has been on the warm side, but gas prices are so much higher this year, you should still budget for a hefty increase.

The most simple solution to keeping your heating bills down this winter is to turn the thermostat down. You may not like keeping the house a little chilly while you’re home, but at least turn it down a few degrees when you aren’t. A high-tech way to do this is to install a programmable thermostat [...]

Applications for government help in paying heating bills this winter are up by over 41 percent this year. A total of 236,131 Illinois residents have applied for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program grants, 128,190 of those coming from Cook County alone. The state has been more aggessive this year in getting the word out [...]

Using solar panels to heat your home may seem like a bizarre concept in Chicago when it’s zero degrees outside, but as long as there is enough sun to make a shadow, you can collect solar heat. Solar panels installed on the roof of a bungalow, townhouse, or two-flat can cut water heating costs by [...]

Most appliances today suck power even when they’re turned off. As long as they’re plugged in, the On/Off switch might as well be called “Idling.”

Home heating costs are expected to rise anywhere from 30 to 70 percent this winter. Check out these tips from the Tribune for insulating your home and conserving energy resources all around. They also provide a nice checklist of things you can do to make sure your home is safe when you start using those [...]

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich wants the Illinois Commerce Commission to demand that People’s Gas refund its customers $118 million, as recommended by the ICC two months ago. The refund is part of a settlement over alleged overcharging by People’s Gas in the winter of 2000-2001. The refund would come out to about $118 per [...]

High gas prices and heating costs may slow development in distant suburbs and curb the demand for large homes.