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Alternative suppliers

In 35 years of consumer advocacy, this is one of the highest gas rates CUB has ever seen

Dale Fiene has his gas bill set to autopay, so he doesn’t usually look at it too closely—until January, that is, when his gas bill soared to more than $440. By the time he got his most recent bill this March, he saw that his gas supplier was listed as…...

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ICC investigates four alternative suppliers

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has brought four cases against alternative electric suppliers for allegedly violating marketing-related rules. CUB has gotten involved in the cases to make sure consumers’ voices are heard. Buried in the legal language are stories from consumers alleging outrageous behavior from some alternative suppliers. Here’s a…...

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Act Now: The battle for a better electric bill

You may not know it, but the latest battle against bad deals is happening right on your electric bill. You’ve heard us tell all the horror stories of people paying skyrocketing bills at the hands of an alternative electric supplier. And you’ve heard us emphasize that one of the best…...

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Warn your neighbors

Warning: This fall, CUB uncovered one of the highest rates we’ve ever seen with an electric supplier. With Just Energy, “Amy” was locked on a payment of $60 per month for her electricity supply. With the amount of electricity she used in October, that meant she paid 24.9 cents per…...

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[Call to Action] These Scams Must End

You can help us right a wrong in Illinois. Check out this list of terrible gas supplier deals CUB found consumers paying at one of our utility-bill clinics this year. $1.32 per therm (312% higher than utility rate at the time) $1.16 per therm (262% higher than utility rate at the time) 70¢ per therm (118% higher than utility rate at…...

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Alternative supplier salesman gives customer simple script to close sale: ‘Say yes’

When Delores met James, a salesman from Illinois Gas & Electric, she says she was a bit confused by his offer, but he insisted it was a good deal. She wanted to take notes, but James never gave her pen back after borrowing it to write on her bill. And what…...

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He told the alternative supplier: I know the mayor doesn’t endorse your offer—because I am the mayor!

Crest Hill Mayor Raymond Soliman doesn’t need to be warned about misleading door-to-door pitches by alternative electric suppliers. A salesman once lied to him in his own front yard—and it was a doozy. At a recent utility bill clinic in Crest Hill, he shared the story with Lead Service Liaison…...

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CUB comes face-to-face with a sketchy alternative supplier

CUB warns consumers that alternative supplier plans can cost you a lot more than what you’d pay with your regulated utility. At a recent event, CUB’s Outreach Assistant Anairis Boror had an interesting encounter with people who seemed to be representing an alternative supplier. Anairis was working CUB’s table at…...

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Grim statistic: Record losses for supplier customers

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) recently reported that over the past year, customers of alternative electric suppliers lost a record $227.6 million, compared with what they would have paid with the regulated utilities, ComEd or Ameren. The electric market is in need of reform—but energy giants, like Exelon and Vistra,…...

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ICC report shows record losses with alternative electric suppliers

CUB warns consumers that enrolling with an alternative supplier could lead to paying higher electric and gas bills. In fact, losses at the hands of electric suppliers reached a record high of $227.6 million over the past year, according to the 2018 annual report of the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office…...

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