As we approach winter heating season, gas prices for September remain relatively stable, in contrast to the price spikes of a year ago. There is one glaring exception: an 80 percent jump in price from August for Mt. Carmel, a public utility in southeastern Illinois, to 47.49 cents per therm.…...
Should customers fund ComEd’s “marketing charm offensive”?
Crain’s Chicago Business recently wrote how ComEd wants customers to help pay for the utility’s “marketing charm offensive” in the wake of its corruption scandal. In a proceeding before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), Attorney General Kwame Raoul is urging state regulators to make ComEd, and not its customers, pay…...
Scam alert! Beware of these 6 scams in 2023
Illinois consumers are no strangers to scams–a review of the latest statistics shows how the Land of Lincoln is a favorite target. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that in 2022 Illinois ranked fifth in the number of victims (14,786) of Internet-related crime and seventh in…...
August gas prices are relatively low, but it’s always a good time to prepare for winter
Illinois utilities have filed their August gas prices with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and they’re fairly consistent with what we saw in July. Seven utilities reported a slight increase from last month, at most roughly a 22% increase in price for Consumers Gas. We’re relieved that the supply rates…...
Mid-year Report, by Sarah Moskowitz, CUB Executive Director
It’s been a historic year so far, with Illinois utilities pushing for a record $2.9 billion in higher rates and a major transition at the Citizens Utility Board (CUB). Check out my mid-year report–and please consider a small contribution to support the work for clean, affordable energy. Summary: Major change…...
CUB’s Daily Herald Op-Ed: Private Water, Big Headaches
CUB Director of Governmental Affairs Bryan McDaniel recently penned an op-ed in the Daily Herald responding to Lake County’s water outage with private water utility Aqua Illinois: The recent Aqua Illinois water outage/boil order in Lake County is further evidence that private corporate monopolies are not the answer to our…...
Do you know about these Illinois solar programs?
Thanks to strong state (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) and federal (Inflation Reduction Act) incentives, the money-saving benefits of solar power have never been more accessible to so many people in Illinois. #1 Want to install panels? Consider the Solar Switch group-buy program CUB and the nonprofit Midwest Renewable Energy…...
The time is now for electric cooperatives to empower rural Illinois communities
Co-Authors: Amanda Pankau, Prairie Rivers Network, Christine Nannicelli, Sierra Club Illinois, and Scott Allen, Citizens Utility Board The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has dramatically transformed the energy landscape for publicly owned electric cooperatives and municipal utilities across the country, offering game-changing access to clean energy tax credits…...
Regulators say NO to Peoples, Nicor Gas
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has ordered a $15.4 million refund for Peoples Gas customers and most recently a refund of more than $31 million for Nicor Gas customers, two votes that may signal a tougher stance towards utilities whose rampant spending has helped spark a heating-affordability crisis in Illinois.…...
