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UPDATE: CEJA helps secure big tax-related refunds for ComEd, Ameren customers

Update: On July 7th, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved a schedule for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax refunds for ComEd and Ameren customers. The refunds will begin to flow back to consumers through their power bills in 2023. This is an update to the blog below, which…...

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News you can use: Power Outage Tips

Be prepared in case of power outages. CUB compiled these tips from a number of sources, including the Red Cross and Ready.gov. What can I do to prepare for a power outage?  Line up a support network. Keep a paper copy of a list of people (and their numbers) who…...

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Need to call your utility? Here’s a list of utility hotlines

Your utility bills will always list a number you can call if you need to reach the company that provides you with service. But if you don’t have your bill handy, CUB compiled a list. Utility hotlines ComEd: Residential: 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) Spanish: 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237) Business: 1-877-4-COMED-1 (1-877-426-6331) Emergencies: 1-800-334-7661 Payment arrangements and credit issues; 1-800-334-7661…...

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In May, natural gas prices reach their highest point in more than a decade

Many natural gas customers in Illinois are paying the highest prices in more than a decade, with most utilities charging nearly $1 a therm or more in May, according to gas price data filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).  This latest development shows that even though winter is over,…...

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CUB Statement on $83 Million Ameren Rate-Hike Request

Ameren Illinois customers have just suffered through one of the most expensive winter heating seasons in more than a decade, and now they face an $83 million electric rate-hike request. This is bad news for consumers, and it’s why we’re working to ensure the consumer-friendly rate-setting system (created by the Climate…...

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Consumer victory: Advocates praise passage of HB 4281 in Illinois

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is joining with Illinois officials in praising the state General Assembly for unanimously passing legislation that prevents a misleading marketing tactic that has tricked consumers for years and in some cases caused them to pay hundreds of dollars in extra costs. Last week, the Illinois…...

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Gas prices still skyrocketing–thank goodness winter is ending

Winter is ending, and hopefully warm weather is on the way, because natural gas prices continue to be through the roof.  About 80 percent of Illinois homes heat with natural gas, and this has been their most expensive winter since the cold season of 2008-09.  Illinois’ natural gas utilities file…...

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Urge Springfield To Fight Misleading Marketing

We’re asking you to join the fight against misleading marketing today. House Bill 4281 would prohibit a “non-utility individual, business, or entity” from using “a public utility name or logo, in whole or in part, in any manner to market, solicit, sell or bill for a home (i) insurance, (ii)…...

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CUB Q&A: Illinois American Water’s rate-hike request  

What happened?  In February, Illinois American Water filed for a $87.4 million increase in rates before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). How much will this cost customers? The rate hike includes a $65.7 million, or 27 percent, increase in water service rates and a $21.7 million, or 59 percent, increase in…...

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UN report: Climate disasters are likely to get worse–we must act now

With increasingly cold winters and hotter summers, Illinois consumers face the prospect of higher and higher gas and electric bills. It’s likely to get worse, according to the latest climate report by the United Nations, but we still have time to act.  The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change…...

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