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Take CUB’s quick poll for a chance to win a smart thermostat!

By Sagar Dommaraju Take CUB’s quick poll and you could be randomly selected to win a free smart thermostat, valued at up to $250. CUB will pick a winner at midnight Sunday, July 31. If you take the poll, we’ll also send you information on smart thermostat rebates (up to…...

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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…...

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AT&T tells her ‘the check’s in the mail;’ (but it wasn’t!)

By: Sagar Dommaraju All Barbara Hardin wanted was the $11.78 AT&T owed her. For 11 months, she called the company a dozen times to try to get her money back. She had no such luck, until CUB got involved. When the retired homecare worker first noticed that she overpaid on…...

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CUB, NBC 5 Responds team up to get $1,500 refund

CUB worked with NBC 5 Responds to get a $1,500 refund for a retired couple on a “monumentally bad” natural gas deal. Here’s an odd twist: They did NOT sign up for the plan. Their neighbor did. This story is another good reason to ALWAYS read your gas/electric bills. ...

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Lessons from my summers in India: Staying cool without breaking the bank

By: Sagar Dommaraju Illinois summers are hot—but they’re nothing compared to the ones I experience when I visit relatives in southern India. Temperatures there easily top 100 degrees, cooling rains rarely fall, and—if you live in a rural village—air conditioning is unavailable at certain peak electricity times. But those stifling…...

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Breaking: Net neutrality upheld in federal court

Consumer advocates are celebrating a major victory today. Net neutrality was upheld in federal court.  The Washington Post reports (Cable and telecom companies just lost a huge court battle on net neutrality): By a 2-1 vote Tuesday, a federal appeals court upheld a series of strict new rules for Internet providers,…...

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Help Julie and Christie fight rate hikes!

CUB has launched its annual consumer campaign in June to rally Illinoisans against billions of dollars in rate hikes. We hope every community in Illinois signs our Rate-hike Fighters Petition. Take a look at the rate-hike battles  CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna and Senior Attorney Christie R. Hicks are juggling before…...

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CUB wants to know: What do YOU think is IL’s biggest rate-hike battle?

This week marks the beginning of our statewide Consumer Campaign. All month, we’ll be asking Illinois consumers to stand with our tiny legal team and fight billions of dollars in rate-hike battles. But first we want to get your opinion on what battle is most important to you. Vote here…...

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Summer scam alert: Who’s knocking at the door?

CUB has issued a summer scam alert. Be careful about anyone knocking at your door, claiming to be from the utility. Read all about the “utility imposter” scam, and take our pledge to warn your neighborhood!...

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ICC approves $10 million refund for Peoples Gas customers!

It’s official. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has approved an $18.5 million settlement that WEC Energy reached with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Office and CUB. The settlement calls for a $10 million refund for Peoples Gas customers. Yes! CUB said in a statement: We thank the ICC, led by…...

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