CUB’s outreach team CUB staffs 400-500 events a year, and we have seen some scary utility bills. Now, we want to hear what bill scares you the most. Answer our quick poll by midnight Halloween, and you could be randomly selected to win $50 off your utility bills. What is…...
Some good news for ComEd customers this October
In October, ComEd customers will receive a one-time refund totaling about $80 million. Here’s what you should know: The per-kilowatt-hour credit, labeled the “energy efficiency credit,” works out to nearly $14 for the average ComEd residential customer. The credit is the result of a refund requested by ComEd…...
AT&T slapped her neighbors with $6,461 bill, CUB member knew who to call
Retirees Paula and Anastasio had no idea that their kind-hearted attempt to help a great-grandson with his schoolwork would somehow lead to a $6,461 AT&T bill. But that’s what happened until their helpful neighbor, a CUB member, came to the rescue (with a little assist from the consumer watchdog). The couple,…...
Tell Congress: Protect my Privacy!
Almost 143 million U.S. consumers — nearly half the country — may have had their personal data stolen when hackers targeted credit rating agency Equifax in “the most brazen failure to protect consumer data we have ever seen,” according to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. Members of Congress have demanded…...
Equifax data breach: What you need to know
What happened? On Sept. 7, the credit reporting agency Equifax announced that hackers had broken into its computer network, exposing the personal information of up to 143 million U.S. consumers — nearly half the country. At first Equifax reported that the hack happened between May 13 and July 29. But…...
What companies have the highest power prices in Illinois?
Ivonne Ortiz, CUB’s Environmental Outreach Coordinator, researches the prices offered by Illinois’ alternative electricity suppliers each week, and she has some significant updates for you: Supplier sued. State Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against Sperian Energy, seeking to bar the supplier from the Illinois market. The attorney general’s lawsuit…...
Is home phone service really getting better?
In its push to eventually end landlines in Illinois, AT&T has promised that home phone service isn’t going away, it’s getting better. There are plenty of Illinois consumers who, along with CUB, dispute that. CUB did an analysis of AT&T’s phone options: Landlines: Pros: Landlines are reliable and, at around $20 or…...
AT&T: Consumer’s Choice plans end Nov. 17
What happened? In a letter sent to consumers, AT&T announced that as of Nov. 17, 2017, the company’s Consumer’s Choice plans, Illinois’ best local phone deals, will end. Why is this happening? In July, the Illinois General Assembly passed a rewrite of the state Telecommunications Act that eliminated the requirement…...
