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Clean Energy Credit Union Clean Energy Credit Union Savings Account might be a good match if you prioritize banking with a strong eco bank. It also could be worth exploring if you prefer credit unions over banks. Clean Energy makes it easy to become a member from anywhere in the US — join an eligible eco-friendly non-profit organization or association, and open a savings account with $5.
Clean Energy Credit Union Overall Rating
| Feature | Personal Finance Insider rating (out of 5) |
| Savings | 3.25 |
| Checking | 4 |
| CD | 3.25 |
| Money market account | 3.75 |
| Trustworthiness | 3 |
| Total | 3.5 |
Clean Energy Credit Union Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
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Clean Energy Credit Union Rewards Checking Account
no monthly service fee
0.01% to 3.56%
$25
- Earns a rewards checking interest rate on balances up to $15,000 if you meet monthly requirements
- Low minimum opening deposit
- No monthly service fees
- No overdraft fees
- Free overdraft protection
- Must meet certain requirements to earn a high interest rate
- $3 out-of-network ATM fee
- To become a member of Clean Energy Credit Union, you'll need to become a member of a participating organization or work at Clean Energy Credit Union, Our Climate, or 350 Colorado
- Access to 5,000 shared branch locations in Co-op shared ATM network
- Access to 30,000 free ATMs
- Earn 3.56% on balances up to $15,000 if you meet two the following requirements each month: 1) make 10 debit card transactions monthly 2) Receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits monthly 3) Have an outstanding balance on any type of clean energy loan OR 4) Have a combined average balance of $2,500 across your Clean Energy Credit Union bank accounts
- Earn 0.12% APY on account balances over $15,000 if you meet least two of the requirements needed to earn a rewards checking interest rate
- No interest earned if you don't meet the requirements for a rewards checking interest rate
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- NCUA insured
If you're searching for a high-yield checking account, the Clean Energy Credit Union Rewards Checking Account might be ideal. The Clean Energy Credit Union Rewards Checking Account pays 0.01% to 3.56% on account balances up to $15,000 if you meet certain requirements.
To qualify for a rewards interest rate, you'll need to fulfill two of the following requirements each month:
- Make at least 10 debit card transactions per month
- Receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits per month
- Have an outstanding balance on any clean energy loan at Clean Energy Credit Union
- Have a combined average balance of $2,500 across your Clean Energy Credit Union bank accounts
Clean Energy Credit Union Savings Account
no monthly service fee
0.15%
$5
- Low minimum opening deposit
- No monthly maintenance fees
- Low interest rate
- Must keep at least $5 in account to maintain membership
- To become a member of Clean Energy Credit Union, you'll need to become a member of a participating organization or work at Clean Energy Credit Union, Our Climate, or 350 Colorado
- Must keep at least $5 in account to maintain membership
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- NCUA insured
You'll need to open the Clean Energy Credit Union Savings Account with at least $5 to join the credit union. Overall, the Clean Energy Credit Union Savings Account is a decent option — it doesn't charge monthly service fees and only requires you to maintain $5 in your account to keep an active membership.
But if you're looking for a high-yield savings account, you might consider other financial institutions.
Clean Energy Credit Union Certificates
2.12% to 4.59%
$1,000
- Solid interest rates that are higher than the average CD
- $1,000 minimum opening deposit
- Limited term options; no terms under 1 year
- High early withdrawal penalities
- Other online institutions may offer more competitive interest rates
- To become a member of Clean Energy Credit Union, you'll need to become a member of a participating organization or work at Clean Energy Credit Union, Our Climate, or 350 Colorado
- Earn a higher interest rate on higher account balances
- Early withdrawal penalties: 6 months of interest 1-year or 2 year-CD; 1 year of interest for CD terms between 3-year CD, 4-year CD, or 5-year CD; 2 years of interest for a 10-year CD
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- NCUA insured
You may like Clean Energy Credit Union Certificates if you're planning to get a 1-year CD, 2-year CD, 3-year CD, 4-year CD, 5-year CD, or 10-year CD.
Clean Energy Credit Union pays solid rates on CDs, but other online financial institutions will offer more competitive rates. You'll also want to be mindful of steep early withdrawal penalties.
Clean Energy Credit Union Money Market Account
no monthly service fee
1.41% to 2.17%
$500
- Higher interest rate than the average money market account
- No monthly maintenance fees
- $500 minimum balance
- No checks
- No debit card/ATM card
- Need to keep at least $2,500 to maintain account
- Other online banks may offer higher interest rates on money market accounts
- To become a member of Clean Energy Credit Union, you'll need to become a member of a participating organization or work at Clean Energy Credit Union, Our Climate, or 350 Colorado
- Earn 1.41% APY on account balances between $500 and $9,999
- Earn 1.48% APY on account balances between $10,000 and $49,999
- Earn 1.81% APY on account balances between $50,000 and $99,999
- Earn 1.97% APY on account balances between $100,000 and $199,999
- Earn 2.17% APY on account balances over $200,000
- Need to keep at least $2,500 minimum balance to keep account open
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- NCUA insured
The Clean Energy Credit Union Money Market Account has a $500 minimum opening deposit. It might be worthwhile if you regularly maintain a high account balance. But if you don't have much money to deposit upfront, you may prefer an account from our best money market accounts guide instead.
How Clean Energy Credit Union Works
Clean Energy Credit Union is an eco-friendly online financial institution. It has checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs, and money market accounts. The financial institution also offers a variety of green loans.
Clean Energy Credit Union is an online-only bank. However, it is part of the Co-op shared branch network, so members still have access to over 5,000 shared locations and 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs throughout the US. Use this search tool to see if there are any shared branches in your area.
The credit union's mobile app is rated 3.8 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store and 4.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store.
Customer service is available by phone from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST on weekdays. You can also use online chat anytime from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. MST on weekdays.
Your money is NCUA insured for up to $250,000, or $500,000 if you have a joint account.
How to Join Clean Energy Credit Union
Credit unions require you to be a member to open a bank account. To be eligible for membership at Clean Energy Credit Union, you must meet one of the following requirements:
- Be an employee or volunteer at Clean Energy Credit Union, Our Climate, or 350 Colorado
- Join a non-profit organization or association from this list
- Have an immediate family member or household member who meets one of the requirements listed above
To join Clean Energy Credit Union, you have to open up a savings account with at least $5.
Social and Environmental Impact of Clean Energy Credit Union
Clean Energy Credit Union offers a variety of loans that can be used for green energy projects. For example, you apply for a clean energy vehicle loan, green home improvement loan, or electric bike loan.
Clean Energy Credit Union has also received certifications and designations from the following organizations for its environmental impact:
- Bank Green (Fossil Free certified): To receive a Fossil Free Certification by the volunteer organization Bank. Green, financial institutions must commit to financing zero fossil fuel companies and projects.
- Green America certified: Green America is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental justice. It certifies businesses that advocate for social change. Businesses must meet Green America Green Business Standards to earn this designation.
Clean Energy Credit Union's Trustworthiness and BBB Rating
We typically include ratings from the Better Business Bureau, so you can see how financial institutions address issues and handle transparency. However, Clean Energy Credit Union has not been reviewed by the BBB yet.
Clean Energy Credit Union hasn't been involved in any recent public scandals.
Clean Energy Credit Union vs. Amalgamated Bank
If your priority is to open a high-yield savings account, you'll probably prefer Amalgamated Bank over Clean Energy Credit Union. The Amalgamated Bank Give-Back Savings Account offers a higher interest rate than the Clean Energy Credit Union Savings Account. However, keep in mind rates can fluctuate, so this may change in the future.
You might favor Clean Energy Credit Union if you want to open multiple bank accounts. Clean Energy Credit Union has a money market account and CDs, which Amalgamated Bank doesn't have.
Meanwhile, Amalgamated Bank checking and savings accounts stand out because Amalgamated gives the equivalent of half the interest you earn to a non-profit organization it's partnered with.
Clean Energy Credit Union vs. Ando
Choosing between Clean Energy Credit Union and Ando will likely depend on which banking features and products appeal most to you.
Ando has a checking and savings account. You must first open a checking account to be eligible for a savings account. Ando doesn't have joint bank accounts.
If you join Ando, you'll have access to the platform's Impact Center, which may be used as a tool to help you cut carbon dioxide emissions based on your banking activity. The Impact Center also shows you how your deposits are being used for investments.
Clean Energy Credit Union has a checking account, a savings account, a money market account, and CD. You'll need to open a savings account with at least $5 to become a member of the credit union. However, the credit union does offer joint bank accounts.
Clean Energy Credit Union also might be worthwhile if you're looking for unique green loans, like green home improvement loans or electric bike loans.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Clean Energy Credit Union
We rate bank accounts on a scale from one to five stars. For Clean Energy Credit Union's checking, savings, and money market accounts, we used Personal Finance Insider's bank account ratings methodology. The exact factors we evaluate vary depending on the type of account — for example, we look at overdraft fees for checking accounts and interest rates for savings and money market accounts.
For Clean Energy Credit Union's CDs, we used our CD rating methodology which looks at interest rates, minimum opening deposits, early withdrawal penalties, CD variety, customer support availability, mobile app ratings, miscellaneous features, and the security and ethics of the company.
We use a weighted average to get our star rating, which means we weigh certain features, like interest rates and fees, at a higher weight percentage than others. We understand that these areas can more heavily impact a person's overall banking experience.
Clean Energy Credit Union FAQs
Clean Energy Credit Union is an online financial institution that supports environmental justice. It has a variety of bank products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs, and money market accounts.
Anyone in the US can become a member of the Clean Energy Credit Union. To become a member, you'll need to become a member of a participating non-profit organization or association or work at Clean Energy Credit Union, Our Climate, or 350 Colorado.
A socially responsible bank will also often get certification or designations to make sure it meets certain standards or commitments toward social and environmental impact. Clean Energy Credit Union is Fossil Free Certified, so it's pledged not to provide lending to fossil fuel projects. It's also Green America certified, which means it met Green America Green Business Standards on environmental impact to earn this designation.
Yes, Clean Energy Credit Union is a federally insured financial institution. Up to $250,000 is protected in individual accounts, and $500,000 is secure in joint bank accounts.
