CUB and the City of Chicago today launched a free tool to help Chicagoans decide whether they should stick with the City’s power deal with Integrys Energy Services, or switch back to ComEd. Try the free tool at: www.ChicagoPowerCalculator.com. Chicagoans might be surprised when they open their June power bills. They’ll…...
How the Wisconsin Energy-Integrys deal benefits Chicago customers: (crickets)
The headline in Crain’s Chicago Business says it all: What’s the sale of Integrys do for Chicago? Not much Yesterday, Wisconsin Energy announced that it was buying Integrys, the parent company of Chicago-area utilities Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, in a $9.1 billion deal. But for a company pulling…...
Big deal! Peoples/North Shore parent to be gobbled up for $9 billion
Wisconsin Energy Corp announced this morning that it plans to purchase Integrys Energy Group, Inc.– parent company to Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas– for $9.1 billion. The combined company will serve 4.3 million electric and gas customers across Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. The deal is set to close in…...
Municipal aggregation ain’t what it used to be
Want to see just how drastically Illinois’ electric market has changed? Take a look at what’s happening to “municipal aggregation.” Aggregation is where local leaders negotiate power prices with alternative suppliers on behalf of their residents. A few years ago, it was an almost-universally great idea for communities. In fact, in…...
Double trouble: Glitch leads to bigger Nicor bills for thousands
The Bloomington Pantagraph reports that some 7,000 Nicor Gas customers on automatic payment plants were mistakenly charged double from June 13-15. Do you have your Nicor bill paid automatically out of your bank account? The gas utility recommends checking your bank account or calling Nicor, at 1-888-642-6748. Those who incurred bank…...
Tell the ICC: Investigate the Illinois Electric Market
News from Illinois’ electric market hasn’t been great lately. CUB has seen an uptick in complaints from consumers who have encountered skyrocketing rates (up to six times the rate of the regulated utility!), misleading marketing, confusing offers and unpredictable pricing from alternative suppliers. It’s time to get to the bottom…...
Are you paying what you think for electricity?
ComEd’s June 1 electricity supply rate jumped to about 7.6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). But there’s a wrinkle: This month ComEd supply customers are actually only paying a rate of about 7.1 cents per kWh. Wait, huh? The difference is due to a change in the “Purchased Electricity Adjustment” (PEA). That’s a credit…...
