This 2005 letter is in our Hall of Fame of goofy customer service. The poor guy was one of many in Orland Park to complain about skyrocketing water bills–and Illinois-American Water said his grass was too green!...
Join CUB’s fight for consumer protections from electric rip-offs!
As the weather gets warmer, CUB handles more reports of shady electricity sales pitches. But now, door-to-door peddlers have reached a new low. Earlier this summer, two people were arrested for trespassing after going door-to-door and trying to get residents of a Chicago apartment building to switch power suppliers. “Finally,” one customer…...
Verizon to Acquire Yahoo: Is Your Privacy For Sale?
By Sagar Dommaraju Verizon has its eyes on the lucrative advertising market, as it announced a deal to buy Yahoo for $4.8 billion. But the move, which follows Verizon’s purchase of AOL just last year, has privacy activists worried. “The acquisition of Yahoo will help accelerate our revenue stream in digital advertising,”…...
What we’re doing on our summer vacation
By Sagar Dommaraju This summer, or any other time, CUB’s not taking a vacation from rate-hike battles. ComEd has asked for a $138 million rate increase to help pay for upgrades to the power grid. CUB’s legal team is analyzing the proposal to weed out wasteful spending. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)…...
90-year-old winner of CUB’s $100 giveaway says ‘Wow!’
By Sagar Dommaraju A 90-year-old CUB member was shocked to hear that her commitment to fighting rate hikes had just won her $100. Marian signed this petition to Illinois leaders in a special CUB Voice that was sent out recently: Please stand with CUB! Fight rate hikes and push for better energy efficiency…...
Comcast: Data caps are coming to Chicago
By Sagar Dommaraju Chicago-area Comcast customers will soon face limits to their data usage, as the company expands its nationwide data cap trials. CUB warned the caps might come to Illinois way back in December, when the consumer group asked CUB Action Network members to sign a petition against such restrictions to…...
Give yourself (and your power bill) a relaxing Fourth of July
By Sagar Dommaraju What better holiday than Independence Day to free yourself from high electricity costs. Follow these tips for the perfect Fourth of July weekend. First, take a holiday from the daily bustle and leave your electronics—computers, TVs, phones, printers—alone for the weekend. Make sure to unplug them completely…...
