We don’t want to induce a panic, but we have big news: ComEd is discounting LED light bulbs! Time to run to your nearest hardware store to take advantage of these long-lasting, energy-efficient lighting marvels. ComEd is offering the in-store instant discount as part of its Smart Ideas efficiency program. (The utility is required to offer…...
The quest for “a la carte” cable
If you’re like most cable customers, you are probably paying for more channels than you’ll ever watch. That’s because Pay TV providers like Comcast and Time Warner only offer channels as part of expensive “bundles,” rather than letting you purchase channels individually. Non-sports fans are paying for ESPN. Retirees are paying…...
The $105 million cramming settlement: what you need to know
Last week, we brought you great news: Federal regulators, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and her counterparts from across the nation have reached a $105 million settlement with AT&T to settle claims that its customers were hit with unauthorized third-party charges. It’s a scam called “cramming,” and we couldn’t be happier to hear that authorities are…...
Act now to avoid skyrocketing electric prices
We’ve been updating you on two developments that could have disastrous consequences for your power bills. Now’s the time to act to protect YOUR interests. ComEd customers: Tell Congress to fix a terrible court ruling that could increase your rates by 20% A recent federal court ruling stripped power grid operator PJM (the…...
Nobel Prize winners put LEDs in the spotlight
Three scientists earned this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue light-emitting diode (LED)–an essential part of creating white light from LED lamps. Red and green LEDs had been around since the 1960s, but blue LEDs had been a challenge for scientists for years. In the 1990s, however, Isamu Akasaki,…...
$105 million settlement another win against one nasty cellphone scam
CUB’s consumer advocates were happy to read the headlines this morning: AT&T will pay $105 million to settle claims that its customers were hit with unauthorized third-party charges. Federal regulators, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and the nation’s other attorneys general say its the largest settlement in history involving cramming–when…...
