Electric bills Archives | Citizens Utility Board

ComEd sets up relief fund, as customers deal with summer price spike

Elizabeth — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:01:23 +0000

UPDATE: ComEd announced on July 29 that the relief fund has run out of money. It was a step in the right direction, but it’s painfully short of what is needed. We call on utilities statewide to provide more shareholder money for rate relief. In the wake of a 45 percent spike in its electricity price, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has set up a $10 million relief program, funded by its parent company, for certain income-qualified customers. As of July 7, eligible ComEd customers can now sign up. In a consumer alert, CUB explained the spike was due to an increase in the cost for reserve power, also called “capacity.” The increase, which took effect June 1, will cost customers on average about $10.60 a month more, depending on your usage, through May 31. In June, ComEd announced it was joining with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Chicago and the Salvation Army to launch a Customer Relief Fund to provide one-time grant assistance (up to $500 for residential customers, up to $1,000 for nonprofits) to its income-eligible customers. Here are the details: Who is eligible? Current residential customers (homeowner or renter) who have past-due balances AND are at, or below, 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level may qualify for a one-time grant of up to $500. (Note: Income documentation is required for individual customers, but documentation for LIHEAP customers will be waived.) OR 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that are current customers AND have past-due balances may qualify for a one-time grant of up to $1,000. (Note: The organization must have a registered nonprofit account and submit an IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter.) Where can customers apply? Go to this special ComEd webpage: ComEd.com/Relief for information about the program. Once there, you can apply directly in-person or online through one of these two organizations: Salvation Army: At this site, the Salvation Army includes online forms in both Spanish and English, and for customers who are on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and not on that program. The Salvation Army also offers physical forms you can download, print, fill out and turn in to your local Salvation Army corps or service center–but it adds this important note: “Online registration is the quickest and easiest way to apply!” Salvation Army locations are listed at the bottom of this Salvation Army site. If you have questions, call 312-667-2010 NHS: At this site, NHS details the requirements of receiving a grant, and also has a link to an online form. If you have questions, call 1-888-688-5438 or email BillPayAssistance@nhschicago.org, or visit NHS offices in Chicago, Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at:South Side – 639 E. 87th Street, Chicago, IL 60619 West Side – 2950 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 Central/Westloop – 850 W. Jackson blvd., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607 How will the grant show up on my bill and how long will it take to get approved? If your application is approved, the grant will show up as a credit on your bill. It may take up to two billing cycles to appear as a credit on your account. Are […]

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CUB Q&A: Feds want to hit us with higher electric bills to prop up expensive, out-of-state power plants

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:38:21 +0000

This summer, electricity prices are skyrocketing. Starting June 1, consumers started to feel the heat of poor decision-making at our regional grid operators, PJM and MISO. Unfortunately, there is more bad news: the federal Department of Energy is ordering two expensive, out-of-state power plants on the verge of retirement to stay open past their closing dates, at our expense. Why is this happening? In January, the White House declared a national energy emergency, defining “energy” as fossil fuels, biofuel, geothermal, nuclear, and hydropower — in short, everything except wind, solar, and batteries. In April, it asked the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to exercise its emergency authority to identify and prevent certain types of generation plants from retiring or converting to a new fuel source. In late May, DOE responded with two emergency orders to keep otherwise retiring plants open: J.H. Campbell Power Plant in Michigan and Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania. Emergency orders are supposed to be used for real emergencies, such as a natural disaster or war. Importantly, while these emergency orders have the authority to keep the plant open, they don’t determine who pays for them. Because both plants are in the same Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) that serve Illinois, Illinois customers are on the hook to keep them open. Ameren customers: stuck with the J.H. Campbell Power Plant bill Campbell, owned by Consumers Energy, is a coal-fired plant with three units that came online 45 to 63 years ago (between 1962 and 1980). The plants are dirty and outdated. Back in 2022, the owners of Campbell made a settlement to stop maintenance and upgrades, with the intention of retiring it this year. In the meantime, they started buying other resources, so there wouldn’t be any power supply loss from retiring Campbell. In short, there is a clear and reliable plan to safely retire Campbell. But the DOE disagrees, and so someone has to pay to keep the plant open for (at least) an extra 90 days, to the tune of an estimated $100 million. Right now, Consumers Energy wants to spread the cost across the north and central zones of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Ameren customers in Illinois are part of these MISO zones and will have to pony up to keep this dirty, decrepit plant open. ComEd customers: stuck with the Eddystone Generation Station bill Eddystone, owned by Constellation, runs on oil or gas, and its two units were built 50 years ago (1974 and 1976). Just like with Campbell, Eddystone is dirty and outdated. It rarely runs–just a few times a year. When Constellation announced its intention to retire Eddystone back in 2023, PJM found that retiring it would cause no issues with grid reliability. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which makes sure that all regions of the country have enough electric resources, recently said that PJM was in good shape. In short, experts agreed that Eddystone can proceed to a smooth retirement. But the DOE disagrees, and so someone has to pay to keep the plant open for (at least) an extra 90 days, to the tune of an estimated […]

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Renting your first apartment in Chicago? Here’s how to read your utility bills

Elizabeth — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:13:54 +0000

By: Citlali Dominguez So you just moved into your new apartment, and you’re having trouble reading your utility bills. Don’t panic, CUB is here to help! We’ll start with electricity! A simple way to understand your bill is, supply + delivery + taxes & fees = amount due. Supply, what you pay for the actual electricity, takes up about a half to two-thirds of your bill. Delivery, about a third to a half of your bill, is what you pay ComEd to get the electricity to your home. Electricity usage is billed by the kilowatt-hour (kWh)— roughly enough power to run a typical window air conditioning unit for an hour. Check out the sample bill provided by ComEd: Let’s break it down: In section 1 you will see your personal information: name, address, and phone number. Make sure your information is correct. In section 2 you will see the issued date, which means the date that your bill was created. This section also will include a personalized account number, due date (when the payment is due), and amount due (the amount owed to ComEd). Section 3 shows your total usage over that past 13 months. Each month displays how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity were used. You will also see a bolded word that reads Actual. This means the utility read your meter that month. ComEd sometimes estimates your usage for the month, but that shouldn’t happen with modern meters that can be read remotely. So if it ever does say “estimated,” contact ComEd. Section 4 is not as scary as it looks! The first long section demonstrates your average energy usage and temperature for that current month. It also shows how much your usage has increased, percentage-wise, since the year before. The box on the bottom left shows last month’s average energy usage and temperature. The box on the right shows the average energy usage and temperature of last year. Section 5 shows the supply section, which is the cost of your electricity usage for that month. Here you will see the company that supplies your electricity–either ComEd or an alternative electricity supplier. In this case the bill says “ComEd provides your energy.” (Beware of bad supplier deals. If a company other than ComEd is listed here, make sure to check what per-kWh electricity supply price you’re paying and how it compares with ComEd’s price, which should be listed on your bills as the “Price to Compare” in the “Updates” section on the back page. It’s likely that ComEd will have the lower supply rate. ) Section 6 shows the delivery cost, which is the cost of delivering energy to your apartment for that month. This section will always list ComEd as the company that delivers your electricity–even if a different company is listed as your supplier in the Supply section of your bill. Beneath the big circle that is in the middle of your ComEd bill you will find the cost of taxes and fees. See that wasn’t so bad! Now let’s tackle the back of your electricity bill! It should look similar to the example below. Don’t […]

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Tips for fighting high summer electric bills, and staying safe and cool

Jim Chilsen — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Check out our tips to stay cool, safe and energy efficient during the hot summer: Be safe. Efficiency means staying safe and cool while reducing your energy waste. Raising your thermostat by a few degrees and using a ceiling fan can lower air conditioning costs over the summer. Just be smart about it—don’t raise the temperature to an unsafe level. Many utilities have recommended setting the thermostat at about 75-78 degrees when you’re at home and awake. At night or when you’re away, bump it up a few degrees. Changing your thermostat by 7° to 10°F (up in the summer, down in the winter) from its normal setting for 8 hours a day can save you about 10 percent a year on heating and cooling, according to the Energy Department. Again, never take any risks with your health. Efficiency is about staying safe and cool. Use fans. Fans alone aren’t adequate in a heat wave, but they can be used with an air conditioner—so you don’t have to blast the AC. Run a ceiling fan counter-clockwise, from your position looking up at it, to create a downdraft, and make sure to turn off your fan when you leave the room. (Fans cool people, not rooms.) Give your AC a break. Prevent hot air from seeping in by sealing the gaps around windows and doors. (Check out sealing/insulation tips from Energy Star.) Shut blinds or shades during the daytime hours to prevent the sun from cooking your home and your air conditioner from working harder to cool it. At cooler times of the day (night and morning) or on milder, less humid days, open up windows and use screens to let refreshing air come in. Clean or replace your air conditioning unit filters about once every 1-2 months during the cooling season to make sure your AC is running efficiently. If you have central air, schedule your yearly check up with the HVAC technician. (Here’s an AC maintenance guide from the Department of Energy.) Make sure your AC is sized properly for the space to be cooled. Contrary to popular belief, a larger unit will not cool a room better. A properly-sized AC unit will be more efficient, and it will keep the space at a constant temperature and a comfortable humidity level. Shut it down. Even when electronic devices are powered off, many are still using electricity if they are plugged in. This is called vampire power or phantom load, which can account for 25 percent of a product’s electric usage on average. Turn off and unplug extra appliances that produce more heat and make your home hotter (TV, computers, laptops, lights), and make sure to unplug your phone charger. Leaving your smartphone plugged in to a charger overnight not only wastes electricity, but it also strains the batteries over time. Turn off lights in empty rooms. Use a smart power strip. For computers and entertainment systems a smart power strip can be helpful. These strips help you cut down energy costs associated with products that go into standby mode. Avoid hot tasks. Delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing, baking, or […]

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CUB Warns Ameren Customers of June 1 Electricity Price Spike

Elizabeth — Thu, 22 May 2025 15:48:59 +0000

Ameren Illinois’ summer price for electricity will soar by an estimated 50 percent on June 1, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) warned in a consumer alert Thursday, as the watchdog urged the utility to work with customers struggling to pay their bills so they can keep their power on during hot weather. At a news conference, CUB explained the causes of the price spike – including the regional power grid operator’s new methodology for pricing reserve power that unacceptably raised consumer costs. CUB has launched CUBHelpCenter.com, which has tips on how to get through an expensive summer. While cautioning that pricing has not been finalized, CUB said Ameren has reported that its electricity supply rate, also known as the “price to compare,” is set to increase by about 50 percent, to about 12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on June 1. This higher rate, which includes the supply price, a transmission charge and a “supply cost adjustment,” will increase summer power bills (June through September) by 18 percent to 22 percent (or an average of $37.62 to $45.98 per month, for a customer who uses 10,000 kWh a year and whose average summer bill is about $209), Ameren has estimated. In October, the price is expected to decrease–to roughly 8 cents to 9 cents per kWh, Ameren said. “We urge Ameren Illinois to work with customers to keep their power on this summer, so they can stay safe and cool,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “High bills can be stressful, so we ask people across central and southern Illinois to check on neighbors, friends and family this summer to make sure nobody is taking risks by keeping their homes too hot. Long-term, this price spike just shows we’ve got to keep working for consumer protections for electric customers.” Moskowitz called for passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (SB2473/HB3779) in Springfield. The bill would implement a number of pro-consumer clean energy policies, including expanding energy efficiency and other programs that help reduce demand. She also said there is a continuing need for reform at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional grid operator for all or parts of 15 states from the upper Midwest through Ameren Illinois’ territory in central and southern Illinois and down to Louisiana. CUB provided information about the price spike as well as consumer tips: What’s the cause? The price for reserve power—called “capacity”—skyrocketed in a MISO-run auction that has a major impact on what consumers pay for electricity. In addition to years-long delays in connecting power plants that could help lower prices–which is also a problem with PJM Interconnection, northern Illinois’ grid operator–perhaps the biggest factor in the price spike was that MISO introduced a new pricing methodology that CUB said unfairly compromised affordability in the latest capacity auction. What part of the bill is impacted? Supply, which is the cost of the actual electricity, and transmission. This makes up about a half to two-thirds of bills. Ameren does not profit off this price spike–under law the utility is required to pass supply costs onto customers with no markup. (Ameren profits off […]

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CUB Warns of June 1 Price Spike on ComEd Bills

Elizabeth — Mon, 19 May 2025 15:17:19 +0000

Commonwealth Edison’s summer price for electricity is set to increase significantly on June 1, but Illinois’ landmark energy law, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), will give consumers some relief, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Monday, citing filings by the utility. CUB urged ComEd to work with customers struggling to afford their bills this summer, and said the elevated price highlights the need for long-term reforms. At a news conference, CUB explained the causes of the price spike and said it has launched CUBHelpCenter.com, which has consumer tips on how to get through an expensive summer. While cautioning that pricing information could be adjusted before June 1, CUB said its preliminary review of ComEd tariffs filed Friday shows the utility’s summer supply rate, June through September, would be about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This rate, which includes the supply price and a transmission charge, would represent about a 45 percent increase over last June’s price of 6.9¢ per kWh. The price will change again in October. CEJA will partly offset the price spike. The law requires a line item on ComEd bills called the Carbon Free Energy Resource Adjustment (CFERA) to subsidize energy generated by Illinois nuclear power plants. But consumer advocates pushed for a provision that changes the charge to a credit when energy prices go above a certain level, as in June. According to CUB’s review of ComEd tariffs, this credit will reduce ComEd’s price by about 1.7 cents per kWh, or about 17 percent, in June. While it could be adjusted up or down on a monthly basis, a credit of some amount is expected to stay on bills for at least the next 12 months. “We’re glad CEJA gives customers some relief in the short term, and in the long term we will continue to work at fixing the root causes of this price spike, mainly poor policy from PJM Interconnection, the power grid operator for northern Illinois,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “As we advocate for pro-consumer reforms at PJM and the State Capitol, we also urge ComEd to work with customers to keep them connected this summer.” CUB’s Consumers for a Better Grid campaign advocates for better PJM policies, and in Springfield the consumer group is working to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (SB2473/HB3779). The bill would implement a number of pro-consumer policies, including expanding energy efficiency programs and requiring data centers to pay for their own energy costs, rather than those costs being heaped on consumers. CUB provided information about the price spike as well as consumer tips: What’s the cause? The price for reserve power—called “capacity”—has skyrocketed. While higher demand sparked by power-hungry data centers is a factor, this problem is largely because of poor policies undertaken by the regional power grid operator in ComEd territory. PJM has been slow to fix a clogged “interconnection queue”—the line of power plants, largely wind and solar generators, waiting to connect to the grid. (Read CUB’s Q&A about the capacity spike.) What part of the bill is impacted? Supply, which is the cost of the actual electricity, and […]

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CUB Q&A: Why is ComEd’s electricity price spiking?

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 09 May 2025 09:20:05 +0000

A record price spike in an electricity “capacity auction” has caused Commonwealth Edison’s electricity price to increase significantly from June 2025 through May 2026. ComEd estimates this could cost customers an extra $10.60 per month, on average, over 12 months. Read CUB’s Q&A below and visit CUBHelpCenter.com for more information. What happened? In 2024, power grid operator PJM Interconnection announced the results of its capacity auction (technically referred to as the “Base Residual Auction”). This auction is how the grid operator secures reserve power in a vast region that stretches from the Midwest to the East Coast and includes ComEd’s territory in northern Illinois. In that auction, covering the 12-month period from June 2025 through May 2026, prices for most of PJM jumped about 830 percent, from $28.92 per Megawatt-day in last year’s auction to a record $269.92 per MW-day. The prices were even higher in two eastern sections of PJM: The Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) zone in Maryland ($466.35 per MW-day) and in the Dominion zone in Virginia and North Carolina ($444.26 per MW-day). [Update: Since this blog was written, another capacity auction has been held to determine the capacity cost for 2026-2027. Unfortunately, the auction produced another record-high price: $329.17 per MW-day. Read CUB’s statement and our new WatchBlog article on what happened.] What exactly are capacity costs? Not only do you pay for the power you use now, but you also pay for power you could use in the future. Capacity refers to extra payments consumers give power plant operators for the commitment to have enough reserve electricity available if demand suddenly spikes. (Think of a hot summer afternoon, when everyone blasts the AC.) Normally, PJM holds annual auctions to secure capacity prices three years in advance. But PJM got off schedule years ago and July’s auction set the capacity price for the following June, only 11 months in advance. This compressed auction schedule has contributed to PJM’s problems. Where does a capacity price increase appear on my bill? An increase in capacity prices will affect the supply section of your ComEd bill. For most customers, capacity costs are buried in ComEd’s per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) supply price–it’s one component of the price, typically accounting for roughly 20 percent of supply. (The exception is if you’re a customer of ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program–which charges you a supply price that can change hourly. Hourly Pricing customers see capacity as a separate line item on bills.) How much has an increase in capacity costs increased ComEd bills? ComEd’s supply price before June 2025 was just under 7 cents per kWh. Then, it shot up to about 10.03 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). As of October 2025, the price was about 9.689 cents per kWh, which is about 47 percent higher than last October. ComEd says the spike will increase bills by an average of $10.60 a month over the next 12 months, or 10 to 15 percent, but the actual increase could run a lot higher depending on actual usage and weather. After a summer heat wave, some customers reported triple-digit increases in their ComEd bills. Hourly Pricing customers, who have […]

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High-bill Alert: Consumers face multiple electric/gas rate hikes—so who’s cashing in?

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 08 May 2025 14:29:21 +0000

Special report: Illinois consumers in 2025 are being threatened with rate hikes on both sides of the bill—supply and delivery—as big energy companies and utilities push for windfall profits. Energy Price Spikes In April alone, most Illinois utilities saw gas prices jump by up to 104 percent, compared to last year. In the current volatile gas market, prices could remain elevated through 2026. On June 1, ComEd and Ameren electricity prices are expected to rise. ComEd has estimated customers could pay $10.50 a month more, on average. What part of my bill is impacted? Supply, which is the cost of the actual gas/electricity. This makes up about a half to two-thirds of bills. What’s the cause? With gas, there are multiple factors, including extreme winter cold and profit-hungry U.S. gas companies exporting record amounts of the fuel overseas. With electricity, the price for reserve power—called “capacity”—has skyrocketed. That’s largely because of poor policies undertaken by the regional power grid operators—PJM Interconnection in ComEd territory and MISO in Ameren territory. PJM especially has been slow to fix a clogged “interconnection queue”—the line of more modern power plants, including clean and affordable wind and solar, waiting to connect to the grid. Who profits? Big energy companies that sell gas/electricity to utilities are making a killing. For example, power generators that serve PJM recently saw their capacity revenue jump six-fold to $14.7 billion. Utility Rate Hikes Utilities that received rate hikes in 2023 are back at the table. Nicor Gas wants the largest gas rate hike in Illinois history: $309 million. Meanwhile, Ameren Illinois is pushing for a $134 million gas hike, and Peoples Gas is expected to ask for one this year or next. Last year, Commonwealth Edison, Ameren (electric), Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois won rates hikes totaling more than $1 billion. What part of my bill is impacted? Delivery, what the utility charges to deliver gas to homes—plus a profit. This takes up about a third to a half of bills. What’s the cause? Utilities try to pour a significant amount of money into bloated, unnecessary projects, and seek a higher return on their investments. In these rate cases, CUB works to expose wasteful spending and inflated utility profit rates. Who profits? The utilities. Since 2017, Nicor has raised delivery rates by 114 percent, totaling $747 million, and its parent, Southern Co., has raked in $25.2 billion in profits. Ameren Illinois has raised gas rates by $202 million, or 50 percent, since 2018, and the utility’s parent, Ameren, has made $6.9 billion. In the current rate cases, Ameren (10.7 percent) and Nicor (10.35 percent) both want to win excessive shareholder profit rates. (Read about the “painful history” for Illinois gas customers.) CUB’s response CUB’s staff is working hard to offer critical, free services: Before state regulators: In testimony due this May, CUB is challenging the Nicor and Ameren rate hikes. We have helped save consumers $20 billion over our history, including $145 million last year. Before state legislators: CUB is fighting for utility reforms to bring down costs. One example is the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which would […]

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What you need to know about ComEd’s billing change

Elizabeth — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:45:13 +0000

Note to ComEd customers (3/3/2024–last year): The utility’s switch to a new billing system was rocky, blocking millions of customers from paying their bills online for more than a week and erroneously notifying people they owed $9,999.99. The new billing system was supposed to be working on Feb. 19. On Feb. 28, ComEd told the Chicago Tribune that the problems were fixed and it promised that nobody would get disconnected or suffer late charges due to the bungled switch. Please contact the company if you have questions or encounter any problems. Read our earlier article about the switch below. __________ Article from February 2024: This month (February 2024) ComEd customers are switching to a new billing system, which will change all customers’ account numbers. Here are a few key facts you need to know (this is especially important for customers who pay their ComEd bill through their bank’s bill-pay service): Where to find your new account number: Everyone will get a new unique account number that will follow your ComEd service across any moves, changes, and reopened accounts. You can find your new account number… Mail–In the upper-right corner of your ComEd bill. Online–On the top left of your account dashboard, at ComEd.com/MyAccount. Mobile–On your home screen of the ComEd mobile app. Look-Up Tool–ComEd will soon offer a new online tool to help you look up your account number New bill design: With the new billing system, your bills will look a little different. Residential ComEd bills will look similar with a new account number and color scheme. Business ComEd accounts are redesigned to look closer to the residential bill design. Scheduled Payments: What does this mean if I pay my bills through a Bank or Other Financial Institution, automatic payment, or budget billing? Bank or Other Financial Institution–Important: If you have direct payment set up through your bank’s bill-pay service, you’ll need to update your account number this month (on or after Feb. 20) to ensure your payments are correctly posted. Auto Pay–If you’re enrolled in ComEd automatic payments, your account number will update automatically. Budget Billing– You will receive a new account number and your monthly billing amount will be reviewed every three months. If you are on budget billing and Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) or the Supplemental Arrearage Reduction Program (SARP) payment assistance plan, your budget billing will remain on the six-month review schedule. Payment Assistance customers: If you receive support from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), your Local Administrative Agency will reach out when your new account number is needed to process applications. You will only need to provide your new account number when applying for LIHEAP or PIPP recertification. Community Solar or Alternative Supplier customers: You will still receive a new ComEd account number, but also, in the Service Address box on the second page of your bill, you will have a 10-digit Electric Choice ID number. This will help better identify your service account to your alternative supplier or Community Solar provider. For more information, please visit ComEd’s Billing Update page. If you have been encountering problems with this […]

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CEJA set to deliver over $480 million in tax-related refunds

Elizabeth — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 16:51:04 +0000

ComEd customers will get $434 million and Ameren Illinois electric customers $50.8 million in refunds over the next three years, under a plan called for by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and OK’d by state regulators this summer. The case was tied to an ongoing dispute among the utilities and consumer advocates over how utilities should give customers a refund connected to the federal corporate tax cut that went into effect in 2018. In 2017, Congress approved cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. That left utilities with excess money (called “EDIT,” for excess deferred income taxes) since under their accounting procedures the higher taxes were included in the rates customers pay. The utilities wanted decades to return that money to customers–39 years in the case of ComEd and 35 years for Ameren. CUB and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office argued for just a few years. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) ruled in the utilities’ favor several times on this issue, and the refunds–under the utilities’ preferred schedule–began in 2019. But consumer advocates added a provision in CEJA that required ComEd and Ameren to pass through a portion of the refunds by the end of 2025. The new ICC case set a timeline on how the money will be spread through the three years. The bulk of excess tax funds will still go to customers over decades—because federal tax law requires that the taxes associated with the refund be spread out over the course of the estimated life of physical assets (poles and other electric utility equipment). The CEJA provision concerned a subset of those funds—worth hundreds of millions of dollars—not subject to the federal code. “At a time of high energy prices across the globe, this is welcome news,” CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen said in a statement. “We are thankful that other consumer advocates like Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul never gave up on this battle, fighting to ensure that electric customers received these refunds over just a few years, rather than the decades the utilities favored.”

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