The Illinois Attorney General’s office, the City of Chicago and CUB call for the end of a damaging gas surcharge in a new Crain’s Chicago Business analysis that finds the troubled Peoples Gas pipeline-replacement program the surcharge helps fund “appears all but certain to exceed” its latest cost estimate by…...
Tell phone companies: Protect me from robocalls!
Sick of annoying telemarketing calls? We hear you. New call-blocking technology could stop robocallers from harassing you—but we still have to convince major phone companies to get on board and offer the services. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently clarified rules and gave telephone companies the green light to offer…...
IL Attorney General: Stop rate hikes in Southern and Central IL!
Let’s pump the brakes on these Ameren rate hikes. That’s the message coming loud and clear from the Illinois Attorney General’s office. And it’s a message CUB wholeheartedly echoes. AG Lisa Madigan and consumer advocate group Public Citizen petitioned federal regulators yesterday to overturn a recent electricity auction that will lead to huge…...
“A complete disaster”: The Peoples’ pipeline replacement program
A new report shows that a Peoples Gas pipeline replacement program has so far been full of hot air— and not much else! A recently released audit reveals Peoples’ multi-billion-dollar project to replace the City’s aging pipeline infrastructure has been plagued by mismanagement, inadequate quality controls, and faulty reporting and analysis. Consider this damning fact:…...
Scam Alert
Utility-related issues, telecommunications complaints, identity theft and fraud all made Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s top 10 list of consumer concerns. With new scams creeping up every day, read CUB’s list of cons and rip-offs so you can protect yourself. Let us know if you have heard of these scams,…...
Telecom, utility concerns on AG’s list of top consumer complaints
Telecommunications and utilities are both top concerns for Illinois residents, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s annual top 10 list of consumer complaints. In 2014, the Attorney General’s office fielded 2,162 telecommunications-related complaints from consumers (No. 3 on the list), and 566 utility-related complaints (No. 10). Attorney General Madigan’s…...
Attorney General: Pump the brakes on Peoples pipeline project
In light of ballooning costs and allegations of mismanagement, Attorney General Madigan is asking Peoples Gas to back down from a pledge to complete its massive pipeline replacement project by 2030. In a brief filed March 27 with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), Madigan said that Peoples’ project has fallen seriously behind schedule…...
Peoples disaster = Higher gas rates?
The Peoples Gas pipe replacement program is shaping up to be the biggest train wreck of 2015. Projected costs have reportedly doubled—to $4.6 billion—in five years. That could cause our gas rates to double over the next decade! Peoples had previously accelerated its schedule to replace 1,700 miles of aging pipes under the…...
Scam Alert: Beware Microsoft tech imposters!
Getting a call from Microsoft? Think twice before you answer! Scammers claiming to be from Microsoft technical support are now targeting Illinois residents. Here’s how the scam works: Microsoft impostors call claiming to have detected viruses or malware on a user’s computers (often perpetrators use public directories to determine a customer’s name or other personal information, which…...
