Efficient water heaters will cut pollution, save money, save lives
Many households will save more than $170 each year in energy costs thanks to new water heater efficiency standards.
A round up of the latest good news, progress and actions in the public interest.
Many households will save more than $170 each year in energy costs thanks to new water heater efficiency standards.
Getting my finances in order has been a work in progress over several years, starting with tackling credit card debt, paying off my car loan and then building an emergency fund. After clearing those hurdles, I set more defined financial goals and plans in motion this year, including automatic deposits into new investment accounts.
Rohit Chopra will be the new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). By a vote of 50-48 on Thursday, the Senate confirmed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner will take on the top position at the CFPB. Mike Litt, U.S. PIRG’s consumer campaign director, issued the following statement.
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (CapMetro) board of directors approved a new contract on Wednesday to purchase 197 new electric buses over the next five years for Austin’s public fleets, one of the largest electric vehicle purchases ever made in the United States.
The House should pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill on the House floor this week. Among other provisions, it allocates $65 billion to make fast broadband more available -- especially in rural and tribal areas -- and more affordable. That total includes about $14 billion to subsidize access and about $42 billion to deploy broadband. Also, broadband providers would be required to use a new pricing label based on the easy-to-read FDA nutrition labels. Photo of "Rural Broadband Buildout Project" by Maryland GovPics, via Flickr, some rights reserved.
The Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act (VCFCA) was reintroduced in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Wednesday. This bill would limit interest rates on loans and go a long way toward protecting consumers, especially veterans, who are often victimized by predatory lenders.