Amid high energy prices, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is urging consumers who are struggling to pay their utility bills to call their utilities immediately to learn about protections available to stay connected to service. Some of those safeguards expire July 31. “It’s been a rough year for utility customers,…...
Q&A: Hourly Pricing and price spikes
What is ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program? Under traditional rates, people pay a flat amount for electricity supply that changes only a few times a year. Hourly Pricing is an alternative pricing plan in which participants pay a supply rate that is subject to more immediate market conditions and can change…...
ComEd’s Hourly Pricing: How to calculate the customer capacity charge
Want to know your capacity charge before signing up for ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program? Here’s how to calculate it: 1. Go to this page: https://secure.comed.com/MyAccount/MyService/Pages/UsageDataTool.aspx, choose “View Summary Data Online,” and “Add” the individual’s ComEd account number. 2. Click “View Usage Data” and it’ll take you to a results screen showing vital…...
Worried about expensive utility bills? Check out these resources for Illinois consumers
As energy prices skyrocket and an expensive summer approaches, CUB has compiled a list of resources to help consumers who are struggling with their bills. Please share this blog post with your friends and family. If you or someone you know is having trouble paying for utility services, the first…...
CUB Statement on $199 Million ComEd Rate-Hike Request
This is the statement CUB released on Friday, April 15: This is bad news for Illinois consumers who are coming off the most expensive winter heating season in more than decade, and it’s why we’re working to build a more consumer-friendly rate-setting system in Illinois. CUB will review ComEd’s rate-hike…...
Crain’s Chicago Business: City of Chicago, Illinois AG call for far higher ComEd bribery rebate
The Illinois attorney general’s office and the city of Chicago yesterday urged the Illinois Commerce Commission to more than double the refund Commonwealth Edison should make to ratepayers over its admitted bribery scheme. In testimony filed with the ICC, the state’s chief consumer advocate, the city and the Citizens Utility…...
Consumer-friendly features to know on ComEd’s website
If you’re a ComEd customer, registering for online access with your utility has its benefits—you can easily make payments, update your contact information, access account information, view your current and previous bills and review your usage history. To sign up for ComEd online access, visit this webpage. You’ll most likely…...
Memo from the General Counsel: CUB’s consumer battles
By Julie Soderna, CUB General Counsel Below is a rundown of key consumer battles in our caseload. In summary, we helped reduce utility rate hikes by a total of $85 million, and we helped negotiate $2 million in refunds and energy assistance from three alternative suppliers accused of violating state…...
Affordability crisis: Illinois consumers grapple with overdue utility bills as winter weather draws near
Heading into what could be the most expensive heating season Illinois consumers have seen in more than a decade, many utility customers across the state are already behind on their utility bills. Nearly 170,000 Peoples Gas customers, about 20 percent, are more than 30 days behind on their natural gas…...