Hannah, Author at Citizens Utility Board

Demand response: a win for you, the environment, and the grid

Hannah — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:47:23 +0000

Demand response programs are opportunities for consumers to take an active role in lowering their electric bills, reducing stress on the electric grid, and cutting pollution. Sounds like a good deal. But what are “demand response” programs? At their core, all demand response programs incentivize consumers to shift their electricity usage away from “peak” times—when electricity demand threatens to outpace the available electricity supply. For example, a hot summer afternoon or a cold winter morning. By choosing to put off energy-demanding chores until off-peak times, like running the dishwasher overnight or doing laundry early in the morning, consumers help reduce demand. But what does reducing demand do? For one, it helps lower your power bill. Utilities often offer bill credits or lower rates to consumers who successfully participate in demand response programs. For example, participants in ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program save an average of 15 percent on the supply portion of their bills. But shifting usage doesn’t just save you money. Demand response lowers the cost of electricity in wholesale markets, too, meaning lower rates for everyone. Power grid reliability also benefits from these programs, leading to fewer power outages. And they help protect the environment. During peak demand times, “peaker” plants come online to help meet the extra demand, even if it’s only for a few hours a year. These plants are often polluting fossil fuel generators, so reducing peak demand also means you reduce pollution. You may not realize it, but there’s a lot of opportunity to participate in demand response. See what options your utility offers: ComEd’s Hourly Pricing and Ameren’s Power Smart Pricing These programs charge customers a supply rate that changes hourly, instead of the standard price that changes only a few times a year. ComEd’s Peak Time Savings and Ameren’s Peak Time Rewards These two programs reward participants with bill credits when they reduce electricity use during certain “peak” savings events, usually hot summer afternoons when electricity demand is highest. These are the easiest demand response programs and CUB recommends them for most anybody. ComEd’s Central AC Cycling program Through this program, ComEd sends signals to your home to “cycle” the flow of power to your cooling unit (i.e. to turn the cooling on and off) at peak times of energy usage across ComEd territory. Cycling is only done when needed, and it will occur on specific days for limited periods of time. Many program participants have noted that they haven’t even noticed a difference in their homes during cycling events. For signing up, you get a monthly credit on your bill from June through September.

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Getting ready for Spring? Tips on keeping your utility bills low

Hannah — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 20:56:53 +0000

As you do some spring cleaning, remember that a few easy swaps can help you maximize your energy efficiency. These tips are easy and effective at preventing higher-than-average utility bills, while also being good for the planet. Here are some of CUB’s top tips for keeping your power bill to a minimum as we head into Spring: 1. Unplug unnecessary devices. Your coffee pot with an LED clock, your phone charger, a DVD player—even though these items may not look it, they are constantly drawing power. The wattage they use individually may not amount to much. But when combined, these dormant devices can account for as much as 10 percent of household energy use. So turn off and unplug devices you aren’t using. That includes TVs, radios, and gaming consoles. And when you are finished charging a device, be sure to unplug the charger. 2. Take advantage of your windows. Don’t waste electricity on desk lamps or overhead lights when you could just open the curtains. Choose the brightest room in your apartment or house to work. Plus, sunlight is good for your health, and we could all use a bit more exposure as we emerge from the winter months. If you do use lights, make sure they’re LEDs. Most LED bulbs have a lifespan of 20,000 to 50,000 hours and are 80 percent more efficient than other bulbs. The Washington Post reported that a typical home switching from incandescent to LED bulbs could save $600 a year. 3. Use your technology’s built-in energy savings features. When you’re not using a device, shut it off. But if you need your phone or computer, take advantage of energy-saving features often built into your device. Some devices have sleep mode, low-battery mode, or idle mode that can reduce energy consumption. Energy Star says activating these power management controls on your computer can save you between $10 and $100 on energy costs per year. You should also deactivate controls that eat up your battery, like GPS and Bluetooth. Close unnecessary apps and dim your screen. 4. Be smart about your thermostat. An Energy Star study found that people who micromanage their thermostats use more energy than those who leave them alone. Constantly changing the set temperature on your thermostat causes your heating unit to run inefficiently. (That’s why smart thermostats are so handy!) When half of the energy used in your home already goes to heating and cooling, you’ll want to avoid adding to that cost as much as possible. Instead of bumping your thermostat up a few notches, throw on a few extra layers or grab a blanket. Also, if you take our advice and open the curtains, sunlight can help naturally heat your home without messing with the thermostat. 5. Check out your water heater. Lower the temperature on your water heater to the warm setting (120 degrees). For every 10 degree reduction in temperature, you can save up to 5% on your water heating costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. When water heating accounts for around 12% of a family’s utility bill, that can make a big difference. 6. […]

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If you’re an Ameren customer, know these 7 features of your online account

Hannah — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 15:51:46 +0000

If you’re an Ameren customer, registering for online access with your utility has its benefits. You can easily make payments, update your contact information, access account information, view your current and previous bills and review your usage history. To sign up for Ameren online access, visit this webpage. You’ll most likely need: Your utility account number; An email address you check regularly; Your primary phone number (the number you provided when starting your service); and The last 4 digits of the primary account holder’s Social Security number. Once you’re signed up, you’ll be able to check out CUB’s favorite consumer-friendly features on Ameren’s online customer platform: Pay your bill online. This way, you can set up automatic billing and never miss a payment. You can choose to help out the environment and go paperless with your billing. The customer portal allows you to access current and old bills, so you don’t have to mess with a pile of papers. You can even pick which day of the month you’d like to pay your bill, to make payments easier and more convenient for you and your wallet. Visit the Outage Center. This tool provides you with the information you need to report an outage, file a claim and prepare for future storms. You can also sign up for outage alerts (see number 4). Start, stop and transfer service. If you’re moving or need to stop service for any reason, complete your utility-related tasks through the online portal instead of sitting on hold with customer support. To start or stop service, or transfer your service to a new address in Ameren territory, you’ll need the following information: Name Full service address Social Security Number Date of service request (when you want your service to start/end) Sign up for alerts and notifications. When you set up Ameren Alerts, you get important information straight to the palm of your hand. On your online Account Dashboard, you can sign up for some or all of these alerts: Outage alerts – You’ll receive a notification when power may be off in your area as well as estimated restoration updates, the cause of the outage and power restoration confirmation. You can also text OUT to AMEREN (263736) to report an outage or STAT to check the status of power at your address. Bill reminders – You can receive bill due date and past due reminders. Important account status updates – You can choose to receive an alert when immediate action is needed on your account. Weekly cost summary – You can receive weekly alerts that include bill estimates based on your usage for your current billing cycle. Cost threshold – Receive an alert when your energy costs exceed the threshold you’ve established for your account. Usage Threshold – Receive an alert when your usage exceeds the threshold you’ve established for your account. 5. Peak Time Rewards. Peak Time Rewards is an Ameren offering that allows consumers to take advantage of their digital meters. The program rewards participants with bill credits when they reduce electricity use during certain “peak” savings events, usually hot summer afternoons when electricity demand […]

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Consumer-friendly features to know on ComEd’s website

Hannah — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 12:34:37 +0000

If you’re a ComEd customer, registering for online access with your utility has its benefits—you can easily make payments, update your contact information, access account information, view your current and previous bills and review your usage history. To sign up for ComEd online access, visit this webpage. You’ll most likely need: Your utility account number; An email address you check regularly; Your primary phone number (the number you provided when starting your service); and The last 4 digits of the primary account holder’s Social Security number. Once you’re signed up, you’ll be able to check out CUB’s favorite consumer-friendly features on ComEd’s online customer platform: View your past usage by hour. After logging in, select “My Account” across the top, then “My Usage” in the left-hand column, then “View My Usage.” Select “Energy Use” at the top, and you can see how many kilowatt-hours you use per hour (in the day view), on a certain day of the month (in the bill view), or by month (in the year view). Was there a spike in usage last month? Maybe it’s because you started using an electric space heater now that it’s getting cold. If you install energy efficient appliances, like, for example, an energy-saving washer and dryer, you can check to see how it lowers your usage. This tool is a great way to keep track of what’s happening in your home. Compare your use to your neighbors. Using the “View My Usage” tool mentioned above, you can see how your household usage compares to your neighbors. Instead of selecting “Energy Usage” along the top, select “Neighbors.” Note: Don’t worry, nobody can see what a certain home is using. This compares your monthly usage to the average usage of your “neighbors”–defined as households that are the same building type and are about a tenth of a mile from your home. The tool also shows how you stack up against your “efficient” neighbors, the 20 percent of your neighbors who use the least amount of energy. Is Time-of-Day pricing right for you? By visiting the Time-of-Day pricing dashboard, ComEd will provide you a comparison of your current cost compared to what it could be if you were signed up for the Time-of-Day program. Most customers pay a default supply rate that is fixed and only changes about twice a year. The Time-of-Day program is a dynamic rate, which means the price changes throughout the day. For customers who sign up for ComEd’s Time-of-Day program, the day is divided into three sections, each with a different rate: “Off-Peak,” “Peak,” and “Super Peak.” The price is lowest during the “Off-Peak” period, and highest during the “Super Peak” period. Time-of-Day is ideal for consumers who can shift their energy use to times when energy supply is cheaper than the ComEd Fixed-Price Rate. But instead of hoping you’re a good fit for the program, you can use this tool to confirm if you actually are! Peak Time Savings Like the Time-of-Day program, Peak Time Savings is another ComEd offering that allows consumers to take advantage of their digital meters. The program rewards participants with bill […]

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New FCC program helps income-qualified consumers access internet

Hannah — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 04:10:45 +0000

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a new benefit program through the Federal Communications Commission that helps ensure households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible consumers are limited to one monthly service discount per household. A household is eligible if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below: Has an income that is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines; Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC or Lifeline; Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations; Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 school year; Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income program. Not all broadband providers are participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Find broadband service providers offering the benefit in your state or territory by following this link. Service providers can find more information about how to participate here. Eligible households must apply for the program AND contact a participating provider to select a service plan. Go to ACPBenefit.org to submit an application or print out a mail-in application. Contact your preferred participating provider to select a plan and have the discount applied to your bill. Note: Some providers may have an alternative application that they will ask you to complete.

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Preparing your home for winter storms

Hannah — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:59:36 +0000

Preparing your family and your home for rough winter weather can often help you avoid disaster. CUB compiled helpful tips. 1. Weatherize your home. Complete weatherization tasks, like the ones included in the list below, and protect your home and your wallet. Clean or repair heating and cooling systems. Install duct and pipe insulation. Assess fire hazards and install appropriate alarm systems. Seal drafts around windows and doors with weatherstripping. Illinois consumers have access to additional weatherization resources through their electric and gas companies (i.e. ComEd, Ameren, Nicor, Peoples Gas). For more information, visit your local utility company’s website and CUB’s gas and electric pages. 2. Know the numbers for your local and state emergency management agencies. The State of Illinois has a number of emergency resources available to people in need. A severe weather preparedness guide. An updated list of county-level Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs). 3. Keep an emergency kit stocked. This kit should include practical items such as bottled water, snacks, a battery-powered radio, flashlights and a first aid kit. We hope you never need to use such supplies, but it never hurts to be fully prepared. Experts say that you should have enough supplies to last three days, including one gallon of water per person per day and at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. 4. Sign up for your utility’s outage alert system. Ameren and ComEd offer a messaging service that sends you texts about outage information in your area, such as estimated restoration times. This will keep you up to date in an emergency situation. Sign up for ComEd’s messaging program. Sign up for Ameren’s messaging program. If you experience a failure, contact your utility immediately so it can restore your power as quickly as possible. 5. Follow these guidelines if you experience an outage: Stay away from fallen or low-hanging wires or anything they contact. Don’t try to help utility workers by moving branches off the lines. Keep a safe distance. Stay alert for gas odors. If you smell gas, or if you hear a blowing or hissing noise, leave the area immediately and call your utility. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. First use perishable food from the refrigerator. Perishables should have a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to be safe to eat. Next, use food from the freezer. Then, use your non-perishable foods and staples. If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times.

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Major CUB victories over the years

Hannah — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 16:12:40 +0000

Centel refund/rate cut, 1986: $2,000,000 Blocked Nicor Gas rate hike, secured refund, 1987: $40,000,000 Peoples/North Shore Gas rate cut/refund, 1987: $27,000,000 ComEd rate deal rejected, 1987: $1,320,000,000 Overturned ComEd rate hike, 1987: $245,000,000 Illinois Power rate deal blocked, 1988: $3,000,000,000 ComEd rate deal overturned, 1989: $750,000,000 ComEd rate case settlement, 1993: $1,679,000,000 Ameritech rate cut, 1994: $465,000,000 10-year rate cut under electric restructuring law, 1997: $6,288,124,185 ComEd customer assistance fund, 2000: $400,000 CILCO refund, 2001: $20,400,000 Ameritech merger savings settlement credit, 2002: $224,000,000 Verizon merger savings settlement credit, 2003: $139,686,512 Blocked ComEd/IP merger/rate-hike legislation, 2003: $2,000,000,000 SBC voicemail class action settlement, 2004: $40,000,000 Cut ComEd rate hike, 2005: $262,455,000 Peoples Gas/Enron refund, 2006: $100,000,000 Cut Peoples/North Shore Gas rate hike, 2007: $32,267,000 Cut Ameren electric rate hike, 2007: $58,342,000 Cut ComEd rate hike, 2007: $87,761,000 Ameren/ComEd refunds after power auction abolished, 2007: $1,001,000,000 Cut Nicor Gas rate hike,2008: $72,237,000 Cut Ameren gas/electric rate hike, 2009: $118,618,000 Cut Peoples/North Shore Gas rate hike, 2009: $58,717,000 Cut ComEd rate hike, 2010: $218,793,000 Illinois Power Agency procurement savings, 2009-11: $1,639,663,226 Cut Peoples/North Shore Gas rate hike, 2011: $61,504,000 Cut Peoples/North Shore Gas rate hike, 2012: $40,920,000 Nicor Gas refund, 2013: $72,149,519 Total savings: $20.065 billion

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Illinois home to lowest electric bills in the Midwest, nine years running

Hannah — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 20:11:01 +0000

For the ninth consecutive year, Illinois had the lowest average electricity bills in the Midwest, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Illinois, which at one point had the highest bills in the Midwest, has now had the lowest since 2012. But there’s so much more to do, which is why CUB is working to lower consumer bills through legislation and decarbonization. The EIA, the statistical arm of the Department of Energy, reported that Illinois’ average monthly bill, $93.98 in 2020, fell well below the national average of $115.22. In fact, Illinois has the fifth lowest average bill in the country. Utah, the cheapest, is at $80.24, and Hawaii tops the list with $162.66. Here’s how Illinois stacks up against other Midwestern states: Illinois: $93.98 Wisconsin: $99.42 Minnesota: $102.11 Ohio: $107.30 Iowa: $107.78 Michigan: $109.86 Missouri: $115.35 Indiana: $120.34 Here’s where Illinois ranks among the states (and the District of Columbia) that have the lowest average power bills: Utah: $80.24 New Mexico: $86.66 Colorado: $87.88 District of Columbia: $88.89 Illinois: $93.98 Idaho: $95.04 “We’re glad Illinois ranks among the lowest average power bills in the nation, but clearly, there’s a lot of work to do,” CUB Executive Director David Kolata said. “We need to keep striving for long-term energy reforms.” Kolata pointed to a number of challenges Illinois energy customers face. In the middle of an expensive winter and a pandemic, ComEd was awarded a $46 million rate hike, thanks to a formula rate-setting system that is at the center of the big utility’s corruption scandal. CUB said “Illinois consumers deserve better.” Also, Ameren Illinois received a $57.6 million increase, within a year after receiving a $76 million gas delivery hike. Even before the electric rate hikes, consumers across the state struggled to afford their power bills. In October, CUB reported that more than 235,000 ComEd customers owed $56.2 million, an average debt of $238, according to arrearage data published by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Natural gas bills are even worse. The cycle of gas supply price spikes continued this winter, as commodity prices are about double or worse what they were last winter. Plus, major gas utilities continue their needlessly aggressive spending that CUB and other consumer advocates have protested for years. In addition to Ameren’s $76 million gas hike, Nicor received the highest gas increase in state history, $240 million. All customers of the major gas utilities are witnessing rapidly rising bills, but it seems most pronounced in Chicago, as Peoples Gas continues an infrastructure spending spree that is needlessly aggressive. In the fall, we reported that nearly 170,000 Peoples Gas customers, about 20 percent, were more than 30 days behind on their natural gas bills, owing an average of $734 for a total debt of $124.5 million. In one neighborhood, 54 percent of customers were behind on their bills, with an average utility debt of $1,053. So what do we do? In addition to calling for state and federal authorities to invest “in a utility assistance program that is unprecedented in scale,” CUB is working on long-term solutions. One major task is implementing the Climate […]

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Phone companies to phase out 3G in 2022 – what you need to know

Hannah — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 14:20:05 +0000

Cellphone companies are shutting down their 3G networks over the next several months. As a result, many older cellphones will not be able to make or receive calls or texts, including dialing 911. If you have a 3G phone, you may need to replace your device. The phase-out will start as early as Jan. 1, 2022, though plans and timing to phase out 3G services will vary by company and may change, the FCC said. Consult your mobile provider’s website for the most up-to-date information. AT&T announced that it will finish shutting down its 3G network by February 2022. Verizon will wrap up its 3G network shutdown by December 31, 2022. T-Mobile announced that it will complete the shutdown of Sprint’s 3G network by March 31, 2022 and Sprint’s 4G LTE network by June 30, 2022. It also announced it will shut down T-Mobile’s 3G network by July 1, 2022. If your mobile carrier is not listed here, you may still be affected. Other carriers such as Cricket, Boost and Straight Talk utilize these networks. 3G is the third generation of wireless mobile technology that allows mobile phones to connect to the internet. Each new generation has new frequency bands and higher data transmission rates. Most phones now use 4G and 5G. This switch will affect 3G mobile phones and certain older 4G mobile phones that do not support Voice Over LTE or HD Voice. This could potentially impact other devices that also rely on 3G networks, such as medical devices, tablets, smart watches and home security systems. If you do not replace or upgrade your device, your device will not function. If you have a 3G device, don’t panic, but don’t procrastinate. Contact your carrier about getting a newer version of the device or a software upgrade. If you are unsure if your device uses 3G networks, check the device’s user manual, consult the network settings on your device or contact the company.

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AT&T raises prices for Consumer’s Choice landline plans

Hannah — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 15:05:13 +0000

AT&T has once again raised prices for its Consumer’s Choice landline calling plans. See the new prices below: Plan Monthly Fee Plan Details Call Plan 30 Downtown Chicago: $16.25 Rest of Chicago and adjacent suburbs: $19.25 Rest of Illinois: $20.75 30 local (bands A and B) calls (to places within 15 miles of your home). Additional local calls are 6 cents each. Local Unlimited Package Downtown Chicago: $20.75 Rest of Chicago and adjacent suburbs: $20.75 Rest of Illinois: $20.75 Unlimited local (bands A and B) calls Flat Rate Package Downtown Chicago: $29 Rest of Chicago and adjacent suburbs: $32 Rest of Illinois: $32.75 Unlimited local calls (bands A and B) and two calling features AT&T ended the Consumer’s Choice plans, Illinois’ best local landline deals, in November 2017. Most, if not all, Consumer’s Choice customers were then automatically switched to other landline plans through AT&T. These new offers appeared to be identical to Consumer’s Choice plans—except they’re more expensive. Remember that these plans are not under a price freeze. The prices have increased in the past and will probably go up again in the future. Check your bill each month to ensure you’re not paying more than you anticipated. As landline plans increase in price, consider your other options. Basic cellphone plans, which often include unlimited calling and texting, are usually less than $20. Bundling your services, such as landline, Internet and cable, may result in a lower price as well. Read our fact sheet.

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