Ever had to suffer through a long, expensive, food-spoiling power outage? Yep, it stinks. Even worse, for years, ComEd has dodged giving compensation to its customers in such outages. Those days may be over, thanks to a recent Illinois Appellate Court decision. Crain’s Chicago Business reported recently that the Appellate Court…...
The 5 most annoying things about Illinois’ power grid (and what a smarter grid could do about it)
Illinois’ power grid—the aging lines and equipment that deliver electricity to our doorstep—has become a costly headache for electric customers. The “smart grid,” which is an umbrella term for grid upgrades, could help change that. CUB has compiled a list of the most annoying consumer headaches that ComEd and Ameren…...
Integrys Deal Changes
The City of Chicago announced that it has renegotiated its electricity deal with Integrys Energy Services after growing concern among consumers that they might be better off returning to ComEd for their electricity supply. The new deal splits Chicago households into 10 different “tiers” with accompanying rates that are intended to save consumers money and…...
Chicago Power Deal Calculator Video
Not sure which energy supplier will save you money this summer? Watch our video to find out about a free tool– the Chicago Power Deal Calculator– that will help you decide if the City’s deal with Integrys is right for you: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEkpnQ2HGj8?list=UUnBH1A1X_csFhP4sN0hZVlQ&w=560&h=315] ...
Which company grinds your gears?
Over 30 years of service, we have seen all sorts of utility mischief: sky-high bills, unresponsive customer service, confusing rates. And in a year of astronomical prices and frequent rate-hike requests, we know there’s still plenty to complain about. So here’s your chance to air it out: In honor of CUB’s 30th anniversary, we’re…...
Free tool helps Chicagoans make big decision: Stay with Integrys or go back to ComEd
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…...
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…...
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…...
