Most major Illinois gas utilities are again increasing their prices, the lingering effects of extreme cold that hit the nation for a brief period over the winter and caused prices in Illinois to skyrocket. A few utilities lowered prices, but most natural gas customers will see their rates go up.…...
Consumer Alert: Natural gas prices to soar in April
Several major Illinois utilities are increasing their natural gas prices by about 40 percent to 69 percent on April 1, a lingering effect of February’s volatile winter weather that crippled the nation’s gas supply and caused massive blackouts in Texas. Last month, dangerously low temperatures and up to a foot of snow prompted Illinois Gov.…...
CUB urges Illinois consumers to contact their utilities to access consumer protections
The Citizens Utility Board is urging Illinois consumers to contact their utility companies immediately to take advantage of consumer protections available to them due to the pandemic. A state moratorium on shutoffs expires on April 1, so it is vital that people who are struggling to afford their bills get in…...
CUB Q&A: Illinois and spiking natural gas prices
The extreme winter weather that hit the nation February 14-15 has led to some Illinois consumers paying high natural gas prices. In issuing a disaster proclamation for all 102 Illinois counties in the wake of the snow and subzero temperatures, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration sounded the alarm a few weeks ago:…...
It’s time to rethink heat in Chicago
By Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly and David Kolata, CUB Executive Director If ever there was an absolute certainty, it’s that the controversial Peoples Gas pipeline-replacement program is setting up Chicago residents for an economic disaster, unless we act now. The company’s decades-long plan to replace gas mains throughout the city…...
CUB’s Capitol Report: Fighting rubber-stamped rate hikes, water privatization, and unfair gas charges in Springfield
With Illinois’ new General Assembly taking up business in Springfield amid a pandemic, CUB’s Bryan McDaniel will be busy fighting for consumers on a number of important bills. Help CUB fight for lower utility bills “Fighting for consumer legislation in Springfield is always a challenge because energy, water, and internet…...
Illinois gas utilities ring in the new year with higher rates
Illinois’ major gas utilities are kicking off 2021 by raising the price per therm for January. This across-the-board increase is on track with predictions made by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) at the beginning of this heating season. The price per therm you’re paying for natural gas in January, also…...
November natural gas rates trending up
November gas prices are more expensive this month than last, with the exception of Nicor Gas. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has anticipated an uptick. Last month, the organization predicted that natural gas bills across the Midwest could be about 8 percent higher than last winter. Over the winter season,…...