Kudos to NBC 5 investigative reporter Chris Coffey for helping a Chicago resident get a $150 rebate Coffey told the story of Jon Marinas, who owns a West Loop condo and says local utilities have made the rebate application a confusing process. Marinas wants to reduce his carbon footprint, and…...
He won six months of free power!
By: Laura Goldberg This past year, the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Office of Sustainability, in partnership with CUB, challenged students, faculty, and staff to compete against one another in a year-long energy savings competition. Interested UIC participants were prompted to sign up for CUB Energy Saver, our free online energy efficiency…...
Consumer to CUB: You saved my butt!
I received this report from a CUB member about an encounter he had with an alternative supplier–a company we haven’t heard of in the market. The consumer thanks everyone at CUB for “saving my butt.” Last Wednesday night (March 9th), shortly after dinner, my doorbell rang. Very unusual for my doorbell…...
Be green, support CUB: Get an “I LOVE CUB” reusable shopping tote
Contribute $25 to help CUB fight $6 billion in rate hikes and we’ll send you a heavy-duty, reusable “I LOVE CUB” shopping tote. Please, renew your CUB membership now! CUB has just compiled the 2015 profits for the parent companies of Illinois’ big energy, telecom and cable companies. Take a look…...
For a cheaper, cleaner power grid: CUB, EDF greenhouse gas metric to measure smart grid benefits
A first-of-its-kind metric proposed by CUB and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions due to groundbreaking smart grid improvements. The metric was developed in concert with ComEd, which became the first utility in the country to adopt this greenhouse gas measurement tool. Calculating the environmental benefits of clean…...
CUB helps Roselle consumer get $500+ refund
Thanks to CUB’s help, retiree Helen Conrades had a little celebration on St. Patrick’s Day—light beer over ice—and some kind words for the consumer group. “Love, love, love you,” said the Roselle woman, who was celebrating a $539 refund check she had just received from an alternative gas supplier. “My…...
The alternative supplier said what????
A former CUB co-worker relayed this bizarre, fraudulent phone pitch he received from an alternative supplier–we’ll call the company “ACME IL Electricity.” This is a good example of the kinds of reports we get every week from Illinois consumers. My notes are in red. Alternative Supplier: “I’m calling from (ACME IL…...
Results of quick poll on Exelon Bill
Nearly 1,900 people responded to our informal survey about a push by Illinois’ biggest energy company, ComEd-parent Exelon, to raise electric bills by up to $1.6 billion–and eight out of 10 said NO to the idea. Exelon says keeping its nuclear plants open will fight climate change—and they need economic help. Opponents…...