It’s official. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has approved an $18.5 million settlement that WEC Energy reached with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Office and CUB. The settlement calls for a $10 million refund for Peoples Gas customers. Yes! CUB said in a statement: We thank the ICC, led by…...
The guy at the door says he’s from the utility: Are you sure?
For more than 30 years CUB has battled Illinois utility companies to protect customers from exorbitant rate hikes–but we’ll stand with the utilities any day if it helps consumers avoid getting scammed. That’s why today CUB spoke at a news conference with ComEd, Peoples/North Shore Gas and Nicor Gas to warn…...
Breaking: AG, CUB negotiate $10 million refund for Peoples Gas customers
Read CUB Executive Director David Kolata’s statement on the latest consumer victory: a $10 million refund for Chicago gas customers. (Also send a message asking state regulators to approve the refund!) CUB is pleased that WEC Energy Group, the parent company of Peoples Gas, has agreed to a settlement that…...
Free energy-saving products!
Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas and ComEd have all partnered to bring homeowners free and discounted energy-saving products to reduce their home’s energy and water use. Participants will receive a free personalized home energy assessment along with the installation of discounted energy-saving products: Programmable thermostat WaterSense® certified showerheads Pipe insulation Smart…...
Fight unfair utility legal fees
A CUB review of recent rate-hike cases found that Illinois utilities have slapped their customers with more than $40 million in legal fees, meaning the hard-earned cash consumers burn on their utility bills actually bankrolls corporate legal teams battling to increase those same bills. But CUB is pushing new legislation…...
Winners of CUB’s giveaway take home smart thermostats
Congratulations to Thomas, of Walnut, and Richard, of Mount Prospect, on winning CUB’s smart thermostat giveaway. The two lucky winners beat out more than 2,000 other participants to take home the free, money-saving devices valued at about $250. For Thomas, who is in the process of moving to Putnam, winning the smart thermostat means he can…...
Did Peoples Gas mislead state regulators? New AG/CUB filing makes the case
In a recent filing before state regulators, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and CUB argue that Peoples Gas “knowingly misled” state regulators or withheld from them the $8 billion estimated cost of a troubled pipe-replacement program. The AG/CUB pleading, filed on Feb. 4, argues that utility officials may not have disclosed the figure–which…...
Beware bad gas deals
With federal predictions that we could pay the lowest winter heating bills in more than a decade, be careful to avoid bad gas deals peddled by alternative suppliers. For roughly 15 years, Northern Illinois consumers have been able to choose another company to supply their natural gas–other than the regulated utilities, North…...
EIA: ‘U.S. households will pay the lowest…gas bills this winter in more than a decade’
Aside from this week’s brutal cold, warmer-than-normal winter weather is a big reason natural gas prices have plunged. Over the last four months, average prices for the major utilities have dropped by as much as 49 percent. “U.S. households will pay the lowest heating oil and natural gas bills this winter in…...
