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Consumer Advocacy

CUB Tribute: Randy Fritz, 1949-2019

By Jim Chilsen, CUB Director of Communications When I heard the sad news that former CUB Board President William R. “Randy” Fritz had passed away, I remembered my old friend’s booming laugh at the the many CUB events we had attended across Illinois.  Randy was a member of our board…...

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CUB honored by generous donation in memory of Chris Conrad

Illinois man remembered as kind-hearted seeker of knowledge  As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) celebrates its 35th anniversary, we are honored to receive a generous memorial gift from the family of an Illinois man, Chris Conrad, who had a lifelong passion for shining a light on inequity and injustice. The…...

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CUB honored by gift in memory of Chris Conrad

Illinois man remembered as kind-hearted seeker of knowledge  As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) celebrates its 35th anniversary, we are honored to receive a generous gift from the Chris Conrad Memorial Light-the-Way Fund. The $20,000 gift honors Chris Conrad’s lifelong passion for shining a light on inequity and injustice. We…...

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Back-to-back consumer refunds: Over $800 in savings!

Jantay Gray, consumer advocacy assistant at CUB, recently helped two consumers land refunds–totaling $871.45! “I try my best to advocate for whom I believe to be the most vulnerable utility customers–the elderly and victims of economic disparities,” she said. Throughout the year, CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD) takes thousands of calls…...

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‘Like magic’: Consumer Advocacy Department captures $108,000+ in savings

Each year, thousands of Illinois consumers contact CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD), to ask a question or file a complaint about an electric, gas, or telecom/cable company behaving badly. In 2018 alone, the department saved people more than $108,000, including: • $62,082.76, for an apartment building that was the victim of…...

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Consumer’s persistence and CUB lead to $797 Sprint credit

Your monthly cellphone bill already takes a chunk out of your wallet, and even more if you have multiple people on one plan. So when Moira Melendez and her son Michael found a “buy one, get one free” offer, they thought they had come across a great deal.  But the months…...

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Spring report from CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna

By Julie Soderna, CUB General Counsel Just wanted to give you an update. The CUB staff and I are swamped with these battles in 2018: Fighting plans pushed by giant power generators to change electricity pricing rules in Washington and potentially raise ComEd bills by hundreds of millions of dollars.…...

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From the CUB files: The case of the “mixed meter,” and a $495 refund

Each year, thousands of Illinoisans call CUB with complaints or inquiries about their utility companies—that includes Charlene. The 75-year-old condo resident didn’t know why her electric bill had skyrocketed. She cares about efficiency—turns off lights, unplugs unused appliances, sets the thermostat no higher than 68 degrees, and avoids energy guzzlers…...

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A message from Steve, a CUB Volunteer

My name is Steve, and one way I give back to my community is as a CUB member and volunteer. I’m proud of the work we’ve done this year—and one of my favorite moments is when I saved two customers from paying for an outrageous gas rip-off. So far, I’ve…...

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Consumer Alert: Does your gas bill have a charge from Nicor Home Solutions?

When’s the last time you carefully looked at your Nicor Gas bill? Is there a charge from Nicor Home Solutions tucked away among all the other charges? If there is, get the facts:  Fact: Nicor Home Solutions is NOT Nicor Gas, the regulated utility. Nicor Home Solutions is an unregulated affiliate…...

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