Electric Archives | Citizens Utility Board

CUB statement on Ameren Illinois’ $48 million electric reconciliation rate hike

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:03:36 +0000

The following is a statement from CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz: We’re glad state regulators reduced wasteful and inappropriate spending and shaved about $11 million off of Ameren Illinois’ electric rate-hike request. But the utility still received an increase of about $48 million, and we’re concerned about customers being unable to afford their utility bills among so many cost increases for other necessities such as food and healthcare. Under state regulatory law, Ameren is allowed to petition state regulators for extra money if it goes beyond what it has budgeted for capital projects. CUB supports ending this reconciliation benefit for utilities. If Ameren blows through its budget in a given year, customers shouldn’t have to pay the excess. Background: On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) granted Ameren Illinois a rate hike of about $48 million as part of an 8-month “reconciliation” case (Docket 25-0382). Last year, Ameren won a $308.6 million increase, spread out through 2027. However, a provision in state regulatory law allows Ameren to petition the ICC to recover extra expenses in yearly “reconciliation” cases, if they go over-budget on capital expenditures. In its reconciliation case, Ameren pushed for another $59.6 million. (CUB opposes utilities having this reconciliation benefit.) Over the course of the case, consumer advocates, including CUB and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, uncovered at least $14 million in wasteful spending in Ameren’s reconciliation proposal. A history of Ameren Illinois rate hikes in recent years: 2023: The ICC rejected Ameren’s first attempt at a four-year rate plan in 2023–in part because the utility didn’t do enough to show how the plan would be affordable or beneficial to customers. The utility got a smaller rate hike ($56 million) than it wanted. 2024: Ameren proposed a new plan last year, and the ICC approved a $308.6 million increase, spread out through 2027. 2025: The ICC approved an additional $48 million rate hike, as part of an 8-month reconciliation rate case. The rate hike will take effect before the end of the year.

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CUB statement on ComEd’s $243M reconciliation rate hike

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:40:13 +0000

The following is a statement from CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz: We are pleased that state regulators knocked $25 million off of ComEd’s rate hike by weeding out wasteful and inappropriate spending–especially costs connected to fixing the utility’s error-prone billing system. ComEd customers shouldn’t have to pay for the utility’s incompetence. However, ComEd still received a $243 million rate hike, and we remain concerned about customers being able to afford their utility bills at a time of escalating costs for healthcare, groceries and other necessities. Under state regulatory law, ComEd is allowed to petition state regulators for extra money if it goes beyond what it has budgeted for capital projects. CUB supports ending this reconciliation benefit for utilities. If ComEd blows through its budget in a given year, customers shouldn’t have to pay the excess. Background: On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) granted ComEd a rate hike of about $243 million as part of the utility’s 8-month “reconciliation” case (Docket 25-0383). That’s about $25 million lower than the $268.5 million ComEd sought. ComEd has already won a $606 million, multi-year rate hike last year, but a provision in state regulatory law allows ComEd to petition the ICC to recover extra expenses in yearly “reconciliation” cases, if they go over-budget on capital expenditures. Roughly $200 million of ComEd’s proposed $268.5 million reconciliation increase was to make up for higher rates that were approved earlier, but had not yet been put in place. The rest of the proposed increase was to recover excess spending for ComEd going over-budget on capital projects. (CUB opposes utilities having this reconciliation benefit.) Among $25.4 in reductions that consumer advocates supported and the ICC approved: Most overrun costs related to fixing billing problems that have plagued ComEd customers since February of 2024. (Customers have complained about problems–billing delays, overcharges and other errors–since the utility launched its new billing system.) Millions of dollars to recover extra costs for infrastructure upgrades the ICC deemed unnecessary for a $73 million data center. For future reconciliation cases, the ICC also ordered ComEd to include cost-benefit analyses of grid plan projects to make it easier to evaluate the impact of ComEd’s plans for improving the grid. A history of ComEd’s recent rate hikes: 2023: The ICC rejected ComEd’s first attempt at a multi-year rate plan, in part because the utility didn’t do enough to show how the plan would be affordable or beneficial to customers. The utility received a $500 million rate hike, which was about $1 billion lower than it wanted. 2024: ComEd proposed a new plan last year, and the ICC approved a multi-year $606 million rate plan, spread out through 2027. 2025: ICC approved an additional $243 million rate hike, as part of an 8-month reconciliation rate case. The rate hike will take effect before the end of the year. Also, in January 2026, ComEd will launch a discount program for lower-income customers. The program will provide monthly discounts to qualifying customers designed to reduce energy bills to 3 to 6 percent of household income. Read CUB’s Q&A on the ComEd program.

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Heading into 2026, CUB names biggest threats to utility bills

Jim Chilsen — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:18:11 +0000

Based on its experience combatting high utility costs over the past year, the consumer watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Illinois has issued its list of what looks to be major threats to utility affordability in 2026. “As consumers struggle with high prices across the board for everyday necessities like groceries and health care, escalating utility costs just make their lives more difficult,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “We think it’s important to identify the biggest culprits for rising energy bills, so consumers can be empowered to work for solutions.” Runaway Data Center Energy Demand. Unprecedented energy demand connected to data centers was the primary cause of a 45-50 percent spike in electricity prices for Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois customers in the summer of 2025. Elevated prices will remain a problem in 2026, and customers face even higher bills and rolling blackouts in the years to come if decisive action isn’t taken in Springfield and at PJM Interconnection, the power grid operator for northern Illinois and all or part of a dozen other states. CUB has written about state and regional reforms that could rein in data centers. Rate-hike-hungry utilities. Major electric and gas utilities—ComEd, Ameren Illinois, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas—have pushed for billions of dollars in rate hikes on the “delivery” section of bills in recent years. Under utility regulation, gas and electric companies earn a return on their infrastructure investments, incentivizing them to spend aggressively and push for rate hikes. The current Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has shown more sensitivity toward customer affordability in recent years, and consumer advocates have helped slash rate-hike requests significantly. But for far too many customers, any rate hike is difficult. Bad alternative supplier deals. Many Illinois consumers are allowed to choose a company other than their utility to supply them with electricity or gas, but the market is littered with bad deals. For example, CUB’s review of state data in 2025 found that Illinois electricity customers have lost more than $2.1 billion to alternative suppliers over the last 10 years. The utility’s supply price is likely your best bet. Also, consider a community solar offer. Volatile energy markets. After a period of relative stability, Illinois consumers have been hit by skyrocketing gas prices in recent years. Analysts have predicted that prices could grow more volatile as increasing volumes of fuel are exported through liquefied natural gas facilities. In December, eight of Illinois’ nine utilities are charging supply prices that are higher than last December, by a range of 10 percent to 63 percent, according to a CUB review. Escalating water bills. Illinois American and Aqua Illinois—the state’s two biggest private water utilities—have spent more than $411 million buying up public water systems since 2013. And under state law, they can charge customers for 100 percent of those acquisition costs. CUB is working for a legislative reform that would require shareholders, and not everyday consumers, to shoulder the majority of those costs. Learn more about this issue at CUBWaterTracker.com. (Note: The parent companies of Aqua and Illinois American have announced plans to merge.) Inefficient homes. The federal […]

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CUB: ComEd taking advantage of ongoing billing problems to push for million in higher delivery rates

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:39:52 +0000

Nearly two years after Commonwealth Edison botched its launch of a new billing system, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said it hopes to block Illinois’ biggest electric utility from making customers, and not shareholders, cover nearly $50 million in spending to fix the ongoing problems. (Read the full version of CUB’s news release from Wednesday, Dec. 10.) The utility watchdog made its argument as it challenges ComEd’s push to increase delivery rates by a total of $268.5 million by the end of the year. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) last year approved a four-year rate plan for ComEd, but a provision in state regulatory law allows ComEd to petition (Docket 25-0383) the ICC for higher rates in yearly “reconciliation” cases. A portion of the increase is to make up for higher rates that were approved earlier but had not yet been put in place–however, tens of millions more are to recover excess spending for ComEd going over budget on capital expenditures. CUB filed testimony arguing that tucked away in ComEd’s reconciliation rate-hike plan is an attempt by the utility to improperly win millions of dollars a year in higher rates in connection to problems–billing delays, overcharges and other errors–ComEd customers have experienced since the utility launched its new system in February of 2024. According to the testimony, the improper charges include: $9.3 million a year in higher rates to recover $49 million in spending to fix the billing system, about which CUB is still hearing consumer complaints. “It’s ridiculous for ComEd to try to raise our rates in connection with billing problems the utility giant created itself,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. ”Customers shouldn’t pay higher rates for ComEd’s incompetence.” CUB argued the billing problems also came into play in two instances where ComEd is seeking performance bonus payment, under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), that the utility has not earned, including: A $5.8 million incentive payment for reducing disconnections in certain lower-income ZIP codes. Under an order approving these performance incentive metrics, the ICC adopted a requirement proposed by CUB that the utility cannot collect this bonus for simply delaying disconnections. CUB argued the disconnection reductions were not due to improved affordability or customer assistance but to the fact that ComEd’s error-prone billing system prevented it from disconnecting customers for nonpayment for most of 2024. A $3.5 million incentive payment ComEd argues it deserves for hitting a performance-metric target for customer service. CUB argued ComEd cannot claim this bonus because, amid the billing-system problems, the utility lost the data necessary to prove its claimed improvement. “Shame on ComEd,” Moskowitz said. “The utility shouldn’t benefit from its own failures.” ComEd has had a number of run-ins with the ICC since its corruption scandal erupted in 2020. In 2022, state regulators ordered ComEd to pay a $38 million fine in connection with the scandal. (ComEd was fined $200 million by federal authorities in 2020, after admitting to a bribery scheme to pass legislation that implemented a “formula rate” system and hundreds of millions of dollars in rate hikes over a decade.) In December of 2023, under a new, […]

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CUB’s money-saving events in December

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:42:30 +0000

The Citizens Utility Board’s Outreach team travels across the state to staff free events giving consumers energy efficiency tips for their home, educating them on how clean energy can cut their utility bills and helping people protect themselves from scams and rip-offs. Now in the winter heating season, CUB can help you learn how to make your home more efficient. We hope to see you at an event soon! 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1, Darien Home Energy Savings with CUB (in-person) Join CUB and the Indian Prairie Public Library (401 Plainfield Rd, Darien, IL 60561) to learn about ways to save money on your utility bills. During this presentation we will cover the following topics: understanding your utility bills, your energy choices, energy efficiency programs that can help consumers save energy, and solar options. Please register in advance here. Home Energy Savings + Internet Options and Data Privacy (online) 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4 Are you concerned about the rise in utility prices and online security? Join CUB, Chicago Ald. Matt O’Shea, state Sen. Bill Cunningham, and state Rep. Mary Gill for information about how to reduce your energy usage and avoid online scams. This event is designed to help you better understand the ins and outs of your utility bills, avoid utility scams, and learn about programs designed to save you money and energy. Plus, you’ll learn how to protect your online privacy against internet scams. Stay safe and informed in this digital world! To attend the Dec. 2 event, please register here. To attend the Dec. 4 event, please register here. 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4, Wheaton Utility Bill Clinic (in-person) Join CUB at the Wheaton City Hall (303 W. Wesley Street, Wheaton, IL 60187) for a free event hosted by state Sen. Seth Lewis to learn about suggestions on how to reduce your utility bills and tap into money-saving, clean energy programs. Each participant will speak one-on-one with a CUB counselor to receive a personalized analysis of their bills. Please register in advance here. 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, Palatine Mobile DMV (in-person) Join CUB at a Mobile DMV event hosted by state Rep. Nabeela Syed at the Palatine Township (721 South Quentin Road). CUB counselors will be available at the event to answer questions about your gas, electric, and telecom bills. They will share tips on spotting unnecessary charges, methods to reduce your utility bills (including rebates and energy efficiency programs), avoiding scams, and options to access solar. For DMV appointments, please register in advance here. 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 13, Zion Home Energy Savings Presentation / Cómo ahorrar en las facturas de servicios públicos (in-person) Join the CUB, state Rep. Joyce Mason, and state Senator Mary Edly-Allen at the Zion-Benton Public Library (2400 Gabriel Ave, Zion, IL 60099) to learn about ways to save money on your utility bills. During this presentation we will cover the following topics: understanding your utility bills, your energy choices, energy efficiency programs that can help consumers […]

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Amid electricity price spike, CUB joins advocates to urge passage of the Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act in Fall Veto Session

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:05:01 +0000

Amid an electricity price spike sparked by unprecedented power demand, CUB joined other advocates to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB25) in the October veto session. The legislation would implement a number of reforms to help reduce power prices and lower consumers’ utility bills in the long run. “Illinoisans are hurting from electricity price spikes – we call on state leaders to act and protect consumers by getting the CRGA Act across the finish line,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said at a news conference. “Illinois urgently needs the CRGA Act because it would expand energy efficiency programs and add more battery storage projects to the power grid to help bring down electricity prices and lower bills.” The Fall Veto Session is Oct. 14-16 and 28-30. “Illinois faces a long road of rapidly escalating power bills if we don’t act now. For the sake of our power bills, we must pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act,” Moskowitz added. Illinois has made historic steps forward in securing clean and affordable energy for consumers thanks in large part to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), but the state now faces unprecedented energy challenges. After two decades of relatively steady demand, electricity usage is now skyrocketing due to power-hungry data centers. What’s more, poor regional and national policy hampers Illinois’ progress. Over the summer, Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill that at the end of the year will phase out solar and energy efficiency tax incentives that have helped consumers make home improvements to reduce their utility bills. Also, regional power grid operators have failed to quickly connect the most affordable resources to the power grid. As a result, painful price spikes have slammed Ameren and Commonwealth Edison customers across Illinois. “The Illinois General Assembly and Governor’s Office have been working hard over the past year to get Illinois’ energy policy right. We know that the answer to rising electricity costs is to continue to implement CEJA and pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act,” said state Rep. Ann Williams, who spoke at the news conference. “The CRGA Act accelerates clean energy resources like energy efficiency and battery storage, which are cost-effective and strengthen our energy grid, while also removing barriers to clean energy deployment and giving Illinoisans tools to save money on their electricity bills. This bill is ready to be voted on this veto session and now is the time for action.” The CRGA Act offers a comprehensive plan to meet the challenges facing our electric grid by making investments that prioritize affordability and reliability for consumers and businesses. Among its commonsense provisions, the legislation would: Add 3 gigawatts (GW) of battery storage to the system, enough to power millions of homes and help bring down energy prices. Battery storage is like insurance for our power grid. By making smart, cost-effective investments in battery storage, Illinois can make our power grid more resilient and reduce costs for consumers from volatile energy markets. Give ratepayers tools to reduce their utility bills like increasing access to rebates to weatherize […]

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Grim milestone: CUB review of state data finds ComEd, Ameren residential customers have lost more than $2B to alternative power suppliers over last decade

Elizabeth — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 20:33:05 +0000

Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois residential customers have lost a combined total of more than $258 million over the last year and more than $2 billion since 2015 to alternative electricity suppliers, according to a CUB review of annual state reports. The watchdog called for state passage of additional consumer protections and warned residential consumers across Illinois to beware of rip-offs peddled by alternative suppliers door-to-door, via mail and over the phone. “The numbers show that going with an alternative supplier can be a risky, financially painful gamble,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “This is a buyer-beware market. There are more reliable ways to save money, including energy efficiency.” While ComEd and Ameren bill customers for delivering electricity over the power lines they own, under Illinois law, those customers can choose another company—an alternative supplier–to supply the actual electricity. The Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD), which focuses on electricity competition, recently released its 2025 annual report, covering June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025. Some findings: As of May 2025, about 1.18 million Illinois households were with an alternative supplier—about a 14 percent decrease from the year before. About 20 percent of ComEd residential customers are with an alternative supplier, and about 43 percent of Ameren customers. ComEd customers who were with an alternative supplier on average paid about 2.74 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more, compared with ComEd’s supply price. Ameren customers who were with an alternative supplier on average paid about 1.78 cents per kWh more, compared with Ameren’s supply rate. The highest alternative supplier rates the ICC found were a 39 cents per kWh variable rate (a rate that can change monthly) in ComEd territory, and a 29 cents per kWh variable rate in Ameren territory. Both prices were about four to six times the utility supply prices at the time. In the early days of competition—2011 to 2014—Illinoisans often saved money with alternative suppliers, mainly because utilities were locked into higher-priced electricity contracts. But after those contracts ended, suppliers had a harder time beating utility prices, according to CUB’s review of ORMD reports. Total Losses, ComEd customers Total Losses, Ameren customers June 2015-May 2016 $115.2 million (lost) $10.6 million (lost) June 2016-May 2017 $152.1 million (lost) $45.9 million (lost) June 2017-May 2018 $138.2 million (lost) $89.3 million (lost) June 2018-May 2019 $124.2 million (lost) $121.9 million (lost) June 2019-May 2020 $144.5 million (lost) $107.4 million (lost) June 2020-May 2021 $240.2 million (lost) $167.2 million (lost) June 2021-May 2022 $112.2 million (lost) $24.0 million (lost) June 2022-May 2023 $82.7 million (lost) $66.3 million (saved) June 2023-May 2024 $175.7 million (lost) $122.5 million (lost) June 2024-May 2025 $171.6 million (lost) $86.6 million (lost) Totals: $1.46 billion (lost) $709.1 million (lost) Grand Total: $2.17 billion (lost) Illinois passed landmark consumer protections in 2019, with the Home Energy Affordability and Transparency (HEAT) Act. But now CUB calls on Illinois legislators to build off the HEAT Act and pass additional common-sense reforms in House Bill 1284. The bill would require a customer signature if a supplier wants to increase an offer’s rate at the time of renewal. It […]

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CUB’s 2025 State Capitol agenda: Fighting high bills, ridiculous charges, secret votes and supplier overcharges

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:50:52 +0000

By Bryan McDaniel CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs The thing about consumer advocates is that we never give up. That’s why year after year, we’re advocating for strong, pro-consumer policy in the halls of the State Capitol. Here’s a summary of what we’re working on. Senate Bill 75: The Water Affordability Act The 2025 session is off to a fast start for consumers with the assignment of SB 75, the Water Affordability Act, to a Senate Committee. CUB helped to introduce the bill along with Sen. Laura Murphy. It’s never easy to pass good consumer legislation in Springfield and this bill will be no different–we face stiff opposition from Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water, which just received rate hikes. The legislation would end the Qualifying Infrastructure Plant (QIP) surcharge, which allows water utilities to raise rates more quickly, and it would require shareholders to pay the majority of the price tag when a utility purchases a water or sewer system. Under current law, Aqua and Illinois American can charge customers for 100 percent of those costs. Take Action: Urge Springfield to Pass the Water Affordability Act (SB 75) Senate Bill 1275: The Utility Transparency Act CUB has worked with Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton to have SB 1275, the Utility Transparency Act, introduced again this year. The measure follows similar legislation passed in Colorado, Maine, and Connecticut that helped reduce certain ridiculous expenses utilities can recover from ratepayers. The measure here in Illinois would prohibit investor-owned private utilities like ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, Ameren and Illinois American Water from charging customers for these expenses: Memberships in trade associations that push their agenda; Work devoted to political issues campaigns, such as referendums; Pricey insurance the utilities buy to protect their shareholders; Goodwill advertising that enhances a utility’s image and benefits shareholders; Outside lawyers and experts when a utility pushes for a rate hike. Needless to say, the utilities aren’t excited about this bill. Ratepayers should not be paying to enhance utility political power and utility efforts to raise rates. SB 1275 is a commonsense measure. Take Action: Urge Springfield to Pass the Utility Transparency Act (SB 1275) House Bill 1284: Electric and Gas Customer Protection Act Market reports, based on alternative supplier rate data submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), continue to show that consumers with alternative electric suppliers have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, compared with the utility price. HB 1284, sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet, features two critical consumer protections that will help to ensure Illinois electric and gas markets are working as intended for consumers. The bill would: require a customer signature if the supplier wants to increase its rate at the time of auto renewal; prohibit supplier agents from being paid on commission. CUB is tired of meeting consumers being charged double and even triple the utility price. It’s wrong, and it needs to end. HB 1284 would go a long way towards helping. Take Action: Support the Electric and Gas Customer Protection Act (HB 1284) House Bill 1802: Electric Utility Accountability HB 1802 , sponsored by Rep Joyce Mason, is an […]

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Check out CUB’s free February events

Jim Chilsen — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 12:18:19 +0000

CUB’s Outreach team travels across the state of Illinois to staff free events to give consumers energy efficiency tips for their home, educate them on how clean energy can cut their utility bills and help people protect themselves from scams and rip-offs. We hope to see you at one soon! 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5, Garfield Park Affordable and Sustainable Housing Workshop (in-person event) Join CUB and Illinois Solar for All at the Garfield Park Community Council offices (4215 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60624) on Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. Bring your ComEd bill and get expert advice on how to save money in the cold months ahead. Please register for this in-person event or call 773-948-8989, ext. 160. 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11, Elgin Utility Bill Clinic (in-person) CUB and state Rep. Anna Moeller are hosting a free utility bill clinic at Gail Borden Library (270 N. Grove Avenue, Elgin, IL 60120), where CUB will provide suggestions on how to reduce your utility bills and tap into money-saving, clean energy programs. Each participant will speak one-on-one with a CUB counselor to receive a personalized analysis of their bills. For questions or to reserve your spot for this in-person event, contact Rep. Moeller’s office: 847-841-7130 or email staterepmoeller@gmail.com. 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11, Understanding Cable Options and Reducing Robocalls (in-person) Join CUB at the Lake Villa District Public Library for a free presentation about your cable options and reducing robocalls. A CUB representative will discuss the choices in the TV market, ways to cut cable costs, streaming services available to consumers and how to avoid common robocall scams. Please register for this in-person event. 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, Understanding Cable Options and Reducing Robocalls (virtual event) Join CUB and the Mount Prospect Public Library for a free presentation about internet privacy and reducing robocalls. A CUB representative will provide insights on how to protect yourself online and over the phone to avoid costly scams. Please register for this online event. 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19, Skokie Utility Bill Clinic (in-person) CUB and the Village of Skokie are hosting a free utility bill clinic at Skokie Village Hall (5127 Oakton St., Skokie, IL 60077), where CUB will provide suggestions on how to reduce your utility bills and tap into money-saving, clean energy programs. Each participant will speak one-on-one with a CUB counselor to receive a personalized analysis of their bills. Please register for this in-person event. 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24, Evergreen Park Utility Bill Clinic (in-person) CUB and the Village of Evergreen Park are hosting a free utility bill clinic at Evergreen Park Village Hall (9418 S. Kedzie Ave., Evergreen Park, IL 60805), where CUB will provide suggestions on how to reduce your utility bills and tap into money-saving, clean energy programs. Each participant will speak one-on-one with a CUB counselor to receive a personalized analysis of their bills. 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 25, Decarbonizing Your Home (in-person) Join CUB and Greener Grove, a grassroots […]

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Making a Difference: CUB Consumer Advocacy team’s good work saves people money

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:51:45 +0000

CUB’s Consumer Advocacy team spends most of their days answering people’s calls and emails about utility bills and service. In 2024, this team (Annie, Danielle, Sandra) handled more than 1,600 consumer inquiries, saving individual utility customers a total of $48,054. Below are examples of people whom we’ve advocated for in their complaints against electric, gas, water or telecom/cable companies: Dave of Homer Glen: Illinois American Water bill cut by $3,059. Rakesh of Round Lake: ComEd bill cut by $2,346. Lesley of Chicago: Peoples Gas bill cut by $1,199. Francis of Chicago: ComEd bill cut by $823. Chelsea of Tolono: Clearview Electric bill cut by $739. Amy of Chicago: AT&T bill cut by $705. Cristobalina of Niles: Indra Energy bill cut by $700. Brian and Marci of Freeport: ComEd bill cut by $545. Ashley of Chicago: Peoples Gas bill cut by $466. Mary of Carol Stream: ComEd bill cut by $463. Steven of Belleville: Illinois American Water bill cut by $111. Matthew of Frankfort: Comcast/Xfinity bill cut by $100. Rose of Chicago: Verizon Wireless bill cut by $51. Paula of Benton: Frontier/Citizens Communications bill cut by $50. If you ever have a question or complaint about your utility bills, and contacting your utility hasn’t helped… Consider calling CUB’s Consumer Hotline, at 1-800-669-5556; or Fill out CUB’s online complaint form at CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

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