Gas utilities file supply prices–called the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)–each month with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Here’s what we uncovered in our review of June prices. Compared with last month, six major utilities are charging prices that are higher, ranging from about 2 percent (Ameren) to 65 percent (Mr. Carmel).…...
CUB helps consumer get $23,288 refund!
CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department this past spring helped secure a $23,288 refund for a Chicago business owner. Annie Warnock, CUB’s Bilingual Consumer Rights Specialist, took on the case of a small-business owner who was “distraught and confused” over high electric bills. The owner discovered she was with an alternative electricity…...
CUB alerts Illinois consumers to new summer power prices
ComEd and Ameren Illinois are charging new electric supply prices as of June 1. Know these prices to avoid bad deals peddled by alternative electricity suppliers. As of June 1, the utilities are charging a new “price to compare,” the price customers should compare to alternative supplier offers, according to…...
News Release: CUB testimony uncovers $50 million in overcharges in Illinois American Water’s proposed rate hike
Testimony filed by the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has uncovered about $50 million in overcharges buried in Illinois American Water’s proposed rate hike, criticizing the company for seeking an excessive profit rate and charging customers millions for executive bonuses, CUB said Thursday (HTML and pdf versions of the news release).…...
Washington Post: Hiring a contractor for home electrification projects? Ask these questions!
The Washington Post provided a helpful checklist of key questions to ask for consumers wanting to electrify their homes. “Home upgrades are rarely easy, but home electrification projects present a novel challenge,” writes Climate Advice Columnist Michael J. Coren. “The technology inside modern appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters,…...
News Release: Report warns that Illinois gas charges could triple in the next 10 years if state regulators do not intervene
Gas utility customers in Illinois could see the delivery charges on their bills triple in the next decade if regulators do not limit gas utility spending, according to a new analysis released Monday. The Future of Gas in Illinois, from the Building Decarbonization Coalition and Groundwork Data, finds that despite…...
Hourly Pricing program sets record for savings in 2023
A voluntary ComEd program that charges participants an electricity rate that can change hourly set a record for savings in 2023, according to a report filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The Hourly Pricing program saved participants a total of $12.4 million in 2023, which was more than the…...
Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition unveils 2024 legislative platform
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), of which CUB is a member, has introduced its 2024 platform—a slate of legislation outlining critical solutions in the power, buildings, and transportation sectors that accelerate Illinois’ climate, equity, and energy goals. (Read the ICJC’s full release and watch the Springfield news conference.) In…...