CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department this past spring helped secure a $23,288 refund for a Chicago business owner.
Annie Warnock, CUB’s Bilingual Consumer Rights Specialist, took on the case of a small-business owner who was “distraught and confused” over high electric bills.
The owner discovered she was with an alternative electricity supplier she had never heard of and had not authorized–and yet she had been paying this company since 2020. (“Slamming” is when an account is illegally switched from the utility to another supplier.)
Annie rolled up her sleeves and advocated for the customer. At first, the supplier offered to settle the case for $3,000. Not nearly enough. “We insisted that the enrollment was invalid,” Annie said.
After weeks of back and forth, the supplier notified her of a big refund: $23,288.76, based on what the commercial account was charged versus utility supply rates.
“OMG! I am very happy with the outcome of this case,” Annie wrote in an email to staff.
