(800) 669-5556

Ameren

Making history: CUB opens new office in Hillsboro as smart grid improvements begin

As Illinois embarks on historic changes that will impact electric customers, the Decatur Herald & Review reports that CUB is making history of its own, opening the consumer group’s first office in Central Illinois. Outreach Coordinator Rajiv Ravulapati and Environmental Outreach Coordinator Scott Allen will work out of the new office…...

Read more

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…...

Read more

Consumer alert: Is your utility on the phone, or a scam artist?

Lisle Elsbury, a business owner from Utica, received a call from “Ameren.” He was told that his power-bill payment didn’t go through and that he needed to make a quick payment to avoid service shut off. Elsbury didn’t buy it. He had recently paid his utility bill so he knew it…...

Read more

CUB Smart Power Center

Ameren and ComEd are spending $3 billion to install new digital meters across Illinois over the next several years.  Folks have a lot of questions about these updates: What is a smart meter?  Will my bill change?  How can I save money with the new meters?  Is dog spit really…...

Read more

Breaking: CUB, City of Chicago call for probe of Illinois electric market

Just four weeks ago, when CUB released a report on Illinois’ electricity market, we warned consumers about bad power deals. Today, CUB and the City of Chicago took another step forward to reform the market. CUB and the City today filed a petition asking the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to launch…...

Read more

Fight the hikes

The utilities are at it again–asking for even more of your hard earned money. ComEd is requesting a $275 million rate hike and Ameren is asking for a $206 million increase. These increases would represent a 12 percent and 29 percent jump in electric rates, respectively.  That’s just unacceptable. That’s why we’re…...

Read more

5 surprising things you should know about the June rate hike

As of June 1, ComEd’s electricity rate shot up 38 percent,  to about 7.596 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). And the prices offered by unregulated power suppliers competing against ComEd are going up too. To paraphrase Dorothy: “Toto, I don’t think we’re in the same electricity market anymore.” Whether you’re with…...

Read more

Summer savings: Think efficiency

As Illinois enters the summer season and consumers face the prospect of higher electric bills to keep cool, we want to let you know some quick and simple tips to cut power bills. “We’re all hearing news about higher summer electric bills, but CUB has its own message for Illinois…...

Read more

ComEd and Ameren summer rates

Summer is around the corner and temperatures are finally on the rise. But before you start cranking that AC, check out the new summer rates from your regulated electricity supplier. ComEd announced several weeks ago that its rate will jump from 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 7.596 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) starting…...

Read more

Top 3 tips to save money this summer!

Summer electric rates are going up, up, up, but never fear: CUB has you covered with the top 3 money-saving tips to reduce your electric bill over those sweltering summer months. 1.)    Keep it cool…without cranking the AC! Without a doubt, the biggest contributor to high power bills in the…...

Read more