Last winter’s polar vortex blast sparked a jump in Illinois natural gas prices that ranged from 9-80 percent. Now, about a half-year later, the gas prices are finally coming down to more normal levels–just as another winter approaches. We’ll keep an eye on the weather reports–it looks like it might not be as…...
They made how much?
We’re fighting the utilities in nearly $1 billion in rate-hike battles, but a review of their parent companies’ 2nd quarter earnings would have more than a few Illinois consumers scratching their heads as to why the companies need all that extra cash. The parent companies of ComEd, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas,…...
How the Wisconsin Energy-Integrys deal benefits Chicago customers: (crickets)
The headline in Crain’s Chicago Business says it all: What’s the sale of Integrys do for Chicago? Not much Yesterday, Wisconsin Energy announced that it was buying Integrys, the parent company of Chicago-area utilities Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, in a $9.1 billion deal. But for a company pulling…...
It’s not a designer handbag, it’s natural gas!
Jason Knowles, a sharp reporter for ABC 7’s I-Team, did a hard-hitting report this week on high natural gas rates from unregulated suppliers in the Chicago region. Jason’s interview with a consumer whose gas bill skyrocketed featured this wonderful quote: “It’s not a designer handbag that you can charge what…...
You’ll need an aspirin for these headaches
At CUB, we couldn’t do the work we do—saving individual consumers hundreds of dollars on their utility bills, advocating for consumer protections in Springfield, and fighting rate-hike hungry energy companies—without support and input from our members. That’s why we sent a survey out last November asking you to rate your…...
Would the real regulated gas company please stand up?
Annette Evans, consumer rights associate at CUB, recently received a call from a consumer whose gas bill had mysteriously skyrocketed to nearly $600. After some sleuthing, Annette discovered the culprit: without her knowledge, the consumer had been signed up with Nicor Advanced Energy— an unregulated sister company of the utility…...
Rip-off response
Earlier this week, we issued tips to protect yourself from bad deals in the natural gas market. More than 1,800 of you responded to our accompanying survey, and about 56 percent of you said you had encountered a pitch from an alternative gas supplier. Here were some of your experiences: “The person…...
