UI, CNG, SCG Help Customers Save Money and Reduce Energy Usage in the Winter
During Energy Saving Week (January 19-25), the companies are offering tips for cutting back on energy usage and improving energy efficiency
ORANGE, Conn. — January 22, 2026 — This week, United Illuminating (UI), Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), subsidiaries of Avangrid, Inc., are sharing practical energy saving tips for customers during Energy Saving Week, recognized from January 19—25, 2026. Energy Saving Week raises public awareness about energy usage and efficiency, encouraging people to cut their energy usage, lower bills, and reduce their carbon footprint.
“Customers struggling to pay their monthly bills may have an even harder time in the winter, and we are here to help you get through the cold safely and affordably,” said Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of UI, CNG, and SCG. “Through small changes and habits, we can all reduce the energy we consume in our home. This not only could lead to significant savings on your bill, but it will help us all be more aware of using energy as efficiently as possible.”
Energy saving tips include free and low-cost ways to make smart energy choices in the home regarding lighting, appliances, water use, insulation, and heating and cooling. Simple swaps like using LED bulbs instead of incandescent, or using timers and dimmers on your lights, can dramatically cut your electricity usage without making any significant changes. In addition, using cold water instead of hot to do laundry, and hanging your clothes to dry, will help cut back on energy consumption.
Additional energy saving tips include:
Unplug phone chargers and small appliances when not in use.
Install storm doors to reduce heat transfer to the outside.
Keep insulated drapes or shades closed in summer and open on sunny winter days. Close curtains or drapes on winter nights to reduce heat loss.
Close fireplace dampers when not in use to keep heated or cooled air from escaping up the chimney.
Set the thermostat as low as comfort permits. Each degree above 68 ºF can use 3% more energy.
Leave several inches of space behind and on the sides of your refrigerator so air can circulate around the unit.
Keep your refrigerator temperature setting just low enough to chill milk (38 – 40 °F) and the freezer low enough to keep ice cream hard (around 5 °F).
UI, SCG, and CNG customers interested in taking energy efficiency a step further can participate in the Home Energy Solutions program through EnergizeCT. Energy professionals will evaluate your home’s energy performance and install basic weatherization and energy-saving measures that lower bills for immediate and long-term savings. The program may include services such as a blower-door test which pinpoints critical drafts and air leaks, a duct test to assess air leaks and air flow within the ductwork system, and hot water-saving measures including installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Details on scheduling an energy assessment and evaluation can be found at Energy Assessments & Evaluations | Connecticut Homes & Businesses.
For more quick tips about saving energy, please visit: Energy Saving Tips - UI, Energy Saving Tips - SCG, or Energy Saving Tips - CNG and follow UI, SCG, and CNG on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Angela Baccaro