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Five big red flags in Illinois’ electric market

CUB today is releasing a report that shows how Illinois’ electricity market has become more confusing, more expensive, and more treacherous in just the last 12 months. And the watchdog is concerned that consumers who are seeing headlines about summer rate hikes will get scared into bad deals. “Right now,…...

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Breaking: ComEd power price to increase 38% June 1

ComEd’s residential energy rate is set to rise 38 percent from 5.52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 7.596 cents per kWh on June 1. (See ways you can soften the rate hike below.) Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the average household bill will increase about 20 percent, to $82 per month because of…...

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Pay-to-play for Internet?

Comcast, Verizon, and other telecommunications conglomerates want to make the Internet open to the highest bidder, and it’s time to say no. On May 15, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will propose new Internet rules that could have a major impact on “net neutrality”– the idea Internet Service Providers (ISPs) cannot discriminate…...

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Time to get “real” about our power bills

One surprising fact that Illinois consumers learn at CUB events is that power prices are reasonable, well, most of the time. That’s not an easy sell to people who are sick of paying higher power bills month after month. A big part of the problem is that most of us are…...

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Illinois’ most hated bill: Cable gets the nod!

The results are in from our survey on Illinois’ most hated bill. It’s cable, but judging by the survey results there’s plenty of bill-hate to go around. 1) Cable: 627 votes, 35.8 percent 2) Natural Gas: 461 votes, 26.4 percent 3) Electric: 296 votes, 16.9 percent 4) Phone: 240 votes,…...

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Natural gas rates: What will you pay in May?

It’s a sad state of affairs when Chicago’s gas rates are down–but still at their highest May price this decade. It doesn’t appear that utilities have posted final May prices on their websites, so CUB scanned tariff filings on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) website to come up with some…...

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Report: ComEd parent says no to Illinois nuke bailout

According to a published report, ComEd-parent Exelon says it will NOT seek a state bailout of its nuclear power plants. (CUB Executive Director David Kolata had earlier described a full-fledged bailout as “radioactive” for consumer pocketbooks.) But the news is tinged with uncertainty, since consumer advocates wonder if the door…...

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What’s the deal with my data?

Cell phones have changed a lot since they were introduced 40 years ago (remember those old brick phones?).  Nowadays, not only can you talk and text from your mobile phone, but you can send email, play games, navigate trips, check the weather and listen to music. But all those bells and…...

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What’s your worst utility bill?

2014 has already been a rough year for consumers.  Natural gas price spikes.  Brutal electric rate-hike requests.  Ominous cable mergers.  It’s enough to tear your hair out! CUB is ready to crown Illinois’ most hated bill, and needs your input.  What’s your biggest utility bill headache: Electric? Gas? Phone? Cable? Vote by noon…...

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Fed up with soaring utility rates? Guv says: YES!

As the story goes, in the early 1980s a young activist trying to build support in Springfield for the creation of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) bumped into a ComEd lobbyist who wore a three-piece suit. “Never in a million years” would there be a CUB, the lobbyist proclaimed. CUB was…...

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