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Marking 40 Years of Consumer Advocacy and $20 Billion in Savings, CUB Plans Year of Events To Help Illinois Consumers Protect Themselves Against Biggest Threats to Utility Bills In 2024

Elizabeth — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 15:18:20 +0000

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB), a consumer group that has helped save Illinois utility customers more than $20 billion, is marking its 40th anniversary by traveling the state to give consumers money-saving tips and warn people about the worst threats to their utility bills in 2024. CUB’s 40th Anniversary Utility Bill Education Tour will feature at least 300 free, online or in-person events designed to help people better understand their utility bills and how to reduce them. This will include staffing tables and handing out helpful money-saving tips at community events; holding webinars and in-person speaking engagements on saving energy, reducing robocalls and cutting TV costs; and analyzing electric, gas and phone bills at the consumer group’s popular utility-bill clinics. “We are honored to have served Illinois residents for the last 40 years,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “For a consumer advocacy group that has helped save utility customers more than $20 billion, there’s no better way to celebrate an anniversary than to travel this beautiful state and give people helpful tips on how to lower their utility bills.” The Illinois General Assembly created CUB in 1983. The CUB Act gave the nonprofit, nonpartisan group the mission to fight for the rights of utility customers across Illinois—and since opening its doors in 1984, CUB has helped save Illinois consumers more than $20 billion by fighting rate hikes, winning rate cuts and refunds, and advocating for individual consumers. CUB challenges rate increases proposed by the major gas, electric and water utilities; in Springfield it advocates for legislation that promotes consumer protections and affordable clean energy; and across Illinois it staffs hundreds of events to help educate consumers about energy efficiency and other ways they can cut their utility bills. Based on its experience combatting high utility costs over four decades, CUB released a list of the top threats to Illinois utility bills in 2024: Rate-hike-hungry utilities. Major electric and gas utilities—ComEd, Ameren, Nicor, Peoples and North Shore Gas—pushed for a record $2.9 billion in rate-hike requests in 2023. CUB and other consumer advocates helped cut those requests by about $1.6 billion, but rampant spending by the utilities has been a major problem for Illinois consumers over the last decade. 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 rip-offs. Illinois electricity customers have lost $1.6 billion to alternative suppliers since 2015. The utility, or a community solar offer, is likely your best choice. Inefficient homes. The federal Department of Energy says 10-20 percent of annual energy bills could be wasted because of drafts, air leaks and outdated heating and cooling systems. Taking advantage of no- or low-cost energy efficiency programs offered by your utility can help you make efficiency upgrades to your home and save hundreds of dollars a year. Illegal Robocalls (and other scams). Illinois is a top target for scam artists. In December, the state was bombarded with an estimated 147 million robocalls, about 21 percent of which were scams, according to YouMail, a robocall-blocking firm. In […]

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What does it mean to be a CUB member?

Elizabeth — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 16:02:19 +0000

Over the next week, CUB will be emailing renewal notices to people who have donated in the past but have not renewed their CUB membership for 2024. We sometimes get asked about CUB’s renewal schedule, so we would like to explain: What is a CUB member? CUB memberships are based on the calendar year. Typically, CUB asks people to renew their membership for the following year on Giving Tuesday. That means anyone who has given CUB a donation on or after that date is renewed for the new year. Is there a required donation amount? We recommend a donation of $25 or more to best help us serve Illinois consumers. But there is no required amount–we appreciate whatever amount you can give. What do I get as a CUB member? Exclusive access to members-only events The CUB Voice, our quarterly newsletter, delivered to your door Being part of a team that has challenged utility greed and helped save Illinois consumers $20 billion After I become a member, will I still get fundraising requests? If you’ve already joined CUB for the year, thank you! If you continue to get renewal notices, after you’ve donated, please let us know. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion. During busy periods, it may take time to update our records and mark you as renewed. Over the year, CUB will send out additional donation appeals that are separate from renewal requests. These appeals reflect new developments, such as utility rate-hike requests, and help cover the significant expenses of fighting legal battles with the big utilities; staffing hundreds of free events across Illinois; staffing our Consumer Hotline; and maintaining CUB’s free library of money-saving publications. We hope you can continue to support CUB in the future. But please know that a donation is not a requirement for using CUB’s service. Please know we appreciate you, and whether you give or not, please make sure to use CUB’s services–all free to the people of Illinois.

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In 2024, CUB celebrates 40 years of fighting for consumers

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:59:03 +0000

Remember how bad it was before the Citizens Utility Board (CUB)? It was the spring of 1983, and Gov. “Big Jim” Thompson was in a packed theater in southern Illinois pitching a tax increase—but people were more interested in what he would do about utility bills. What he said sparked applause from 200 Belleville-area residents. “Let’s have a citizens utility board,” said Thompson, virtually assuring that the CUB Act, then before the General Assembly, would become law. He would sign it less than five months later, on Sept. 20, 1983. It was the culmination of more than a year of hard work by consumers fed up with high utility bills, including 34-year-old activist Pat Quinn, who railed against “an unprecedented series of back-breaking” utility increases. He led a statewide referendum movement in favor of creating a consumer watchdog group for utility customers. At the time, the idea was gaining popularity nationwide thanks to consumer advocates like Ralph Nader. In Illinois, the headlines were dark those days. Facing criticism about cost over-runs, ComEd, which boosted profits by 35 percent in 1982, had a “continuing need for higher rates” largely fueled by power plant construction, the Chicago Tribune reported. The next summer, one Sunday front page warned: “Utility rates expected to double in 3 years.” There was talk of “a utility price disaster.” No wonder frustration was palpable. “Send the flunky home!” someone shouted as a utility official tried to speak at one community meeting. The birth of CUB came after advisory referendums were placed on the ballots of communities throughout Illinois, thanks to the petition efforts of citizens. In November 1982, Chicago voted 4-1 in favor of a CUB, and in April 111 Illinois communities followed suit—sometimes by a pro-CUB margin of 14-1. Such “whopping margins give us a lot of momentum to go down to the legislature,” Quinn said at the time. He was right: By late May 1983 the House and Senate, which had observed the results of the advisory referendums, had both passed the CUB Act, setting the stage for Thompson’s signing. CUB opened its doors in 1984. That year, the watchdog received a $100,000 state start-up loan, which the group paid back with, interest within two years. The rest is history. Quinn, of course, went on to serve as governor and CUB went on to help save consumers more than $20 billion.

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Follow CUB on our social media platforms

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 02:02:36 +0000

One great way you can give the CUB team support is to follow us on our social media platforms, and help spread the good word about clean, affordable energy, consumer protections and lower utility bills. Like CUB’s page on Facebook for updates on what CUB is doing, event reminders, available resources and recent news articles about utilities in Illinois. We frequently utilize Facebook’s “live” feature to livestream press conferences and Coffee with CUB, our virtual roundtable featuring CUB staffers discussing relevant topics and answering questions from viewers. Follow CUB on X (formerly Twitter) for breaking news, event reminders and live-tweets of press conferences. Follow CUB on Instagram for short informational videos (reels), event photos, employee spotlights and gas/power price updates. Follow CUB on LinkedIn for the most up-to-date information on job openings. Subscribe to CUB’s YouTube channel for recordings of past events/presentations and informational videos on resources (e.g. LIHEAP) and legislation (e.g. the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act).

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CUB Q&A with new Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz

Elizabeth — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:03:53 +0000

After more than two decades of consumer advocacy work at CUB, Sarah Moskowitz has been named executive director of the utility watchdog group. Read our Q&A with Sarah. Q: As you become executive director, what’s your vision for CUB? A: I want to continue the legacy of fighting for consumers left by our previous leaders–Sue Stewart, Martin Cohen and David Kolata–while tackling all the new challenges utility customers face these days. When I started at CUB, most people still had landline telephones and Ameritech complaints took up most of my time. Now, our top issue is how we move to 100 percent clean energy and at the same time keep utility bills down. The issues may be different, but consumers still need a strong consumer advocate in their corner to hold utilities accountable. Q: What are your top priorities? A: My top job will always be to lower utility bills for consumers. In that context, I can see three main priorities: Fighting more than $2 billion in gas and electric rate-hike requests. Educating consumers on how to spot bill problems and tap into special programs to help them cut costs. Helping usher in the clean energy transition in a thoughtful way that keeps utility bills down. We’re seeking the fastest, cheapest way to 100 percent clean energy. Q: What have you learned over your 23 years at CUB? A: Back in 2000, my job was to answer complaints from Illinois consumers at wits’ end with their utility companies. It was an eye-opening experience to see how much people suffer as a result of utility greed. Later, David Kolata promoted me and I spent the next 13 years building a nation-leading Outreach program that staffed 400-500 events a year. During that busy time, I helped lead cutting-edge initiatives that educated consumers on how clean energy can cut utility bills. That included hundreds of Smart Grid educational events; an online energy efficiency tool called CUB Energy Saver; CUB Energy Responder, a demand-response program tailored to curb the energy use of plug-in appliances; and CUB’s solar group-buy programs, which have used volume discounts to help participants install solar panels and cut their power bills. By the time I became Deputy Director in 2019, I had helped orchestrate hundreds of educational programs and events, and had personally handled thousands of consumer inquiries, showing people how to cut their utility bills by hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. But no matter what role I played at CUB–from processing consumer complaints and analyzing utility bills to helping pass the historic Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA)–it always struck me just how much utility customers depend on us to advocate for them against the big energy companies. It’s a big responsibility. The Sarah Moskowitz File Education: Graduated with honors from the University of Chicago in 2000; later received a Master’s Degree in the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. History at CUB: 23 years 2000-2002: Staffed CUB’s Consumer Hotline, which handles thousands of inquiries a year from sometimes desperate customers with complaints about their utility bills. 2002-2006: Performed part-time administrative work, while earning her graduate degree. […]

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Breaking News: Consumer Victory at the ICC!

Hannah — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 21:16:28 +0000

Victory for Consumers! The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted 3-2 on Thursday against lifting a ban on door-to-door marketing by alternative energy suppliers during the pandemic. The ICC was considering a proposal by the commission’s staff that was supported by alternative energy suppliers. CUB argued that door-to-door marketing was needlessly risky during an uptick in COVID-19 cases and amid a struggling pandemic economy. “This surge in cases as well as the very real possibility of predatory sales tactics that could threaten affordability of essential utility service demonstrate that now is not the time to lift the ban on in-person sales,” CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna wrote in a filing to the ICC. Illinois consumers have lost more than $1 billion at the hands of alternative electricity suppliers over the last five years. But at least Thursday’s ruling keeps a COVID-19 moratorium on door-to-door supplier marketing in place for the foreseeable future. A big thank you to all the Illinoisans who used CUB’s Action Network to help send 1,000 messages to state regulators in favor of keeping the ban in place. Your activism makes a difference! Thanks for fighting for consumer rights. Victories like this make all the hard work worth it!

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Real-Time Pricing: Another way to save–just ask CUB staffers

Hannah — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 13:32:01 +0000

Most people pay an electricity rate that only changes a few times a year, but real-time pricing offers a different way to pay for electricity. Instead of charging a standard price per kilowatt-hour, the utility charges program participants a supply rate that changes each hour. ComEd offers real-time pricing through the Hourly Pricing program. Power Smart Pricing is the Ameren program equivalent. While savings aren’t guaranteed, both programs have saved participants an average of about 10-15 percent on the supply portion of their power bills. The idea behind real-time pricing is to put off the bulk of your electricity usage until times when prices are lower–late at night or early in the morning. Real-time pricing is not only good for your power bill, but avoiding heavy usage during times of peak demand also reduces stress on the grid, and it reduces reliance on the dirtiest power plants that are often operating during peak times. An ongoing analysis of energy-usage data by CUB and Environmental Defense Fund has found that most ComEd customers could save money under the program, with even better results for those willing and able to change how and when they use major appliances. Hourly Pricing is perfect for people who want to take more responsibility over their power bill and are curious about how to cut their power bills by changing when they use their electricity. Several CUB staffers have saved money by signing up for their utility’s hourly rate program. Hear what they have to say about their experiences with the programs: Aimee Gendusa-English, Lead Service Liaison Aimee has saved a whopping $622 since she enrolled in ComEd’s Hourly Pricing in 2018. “I use the ComEd app constantly. I find it very user friendly and helpful, especially when I’m looking at my hourly rates. I check the app every time I turn my AC, dryer, or dehumidifier on, and several times a day when those things are running. It’s amazing how a little bit of planning and a few small changes to your routine can result in substantial savings.” Scott Allen, Environmental Outreach Coordinator Scott has been enrolled in Ameren’s Power Smart Pricing for just two months, but he’s already shaved $5 off his electricity bill. “I haven’t been using Power Smart Pricing for long, but with my already-low usage, I’m surprised to see that I’ve managed to save as much as I have. Being aware of hourly price changes has also made me more conscious of my energy usage, which is good for my bill and the environment.” Sarah Moskowitz, Deputy Director Like Aimee, Sarah lives in ComEd territory, so she’s enrolled in Hourly Pricing. She saved almost $7 on her April bill, and since signing up about 18 months ago, she has pocketed $107. “Even though I live in a small apartment and my monthly usage is lower than that of the ideal candidate, I’ve still saved. And those small monthly savings add up over time, which can make a huge difference in the long haul.” Your chances of saving on Hourly Pricing are good if you consistently use above […]

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Working for a clean energy future as easy as 1-2-3

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 14:39:43 +0000

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) staffs more than 400 free events a year—which means just about every day the consumer group is somewhere in Illinois spreading an important message: clean energy = affordable energy. Jim’s a believer. He’s a frequent visitor to CUB events and recently dropped by our utility-bill clinic in Skokie. “I show up to these clinics just to let people know that the programs work,” he said. Jim should know. He’s saved nearly $600 through a ComEd program, called Hourly Pricing, that’s good for the planet and the pocketbook. “The clinics show people the connection between clean energy and saving money,” said CUB Outreach Director Sarah Moskowitz. Utility customers love the clinics, because they can sit with a CUB expert who goes over their energy bills line by line and educates them about ways to save. Specifically, CUB checks three things on clinic-goers’ bills. Are you paying too much with an alternative supplier. Too often, CUB finds people paying ridiculously high rates with alternative gas or electric suppliers. But there are other choices in the electricity market, including “demand response” programs, that can actually save you money–which leads us to No. 2. Have you heard of “demand response” programs? Demand response programs entice you to shift your power usage to “off-peak” times, when demand and power prices are lower. A good example is the Hourly Pricing program, in which Jim pays an electricity rate that changes by the hour and is often lower than the utility’s standard fixed rate. Not only is it good for your power bills, but also the planet: Reducing peak demand cuts the need to fire up expensive, dirty “peaker” power plants. Are you using more energy? Did your electricity or gas usage spike because of weather or extra house guests? That’s an opportunity to talk about great clean energy programs available to Illinois consumers. Most clinic participants can take advantage of a free Home Energy Assessment in which a technician will install energy-saving household items, such as LEDs, showerheads and even a programmable thermostat. No doubt, there’s a lot of work left to do to secure an affordable clean energy future in Illinois. But it’s nice to know savings on our individual utility bills can be as easy as 1, 2 and 3. Visit CUB’s “Clean Energy” page, at CitizensUtilityBoard.org, to see a full menu of clean energy programs that help you cut your bills.

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In 2019, CUB celebrates 35 years of fighting for consumers

Jennifer — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 17:47:58 +0000

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Scott overwhelmed by support from CUB members, staff

Samantha — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 14:55:43 +0000

Scott Allen, CUB’s environmental outreach coordinator in Hillsboro, knew he had a tough road to recovery after a harrowing collision with a semi-truck. But the avid runner has put in the time at physical therapy, for a quicker return to the trails—and work. “The doctors told me that it would take a year before my affected muscle would be in any kind of condition to run,” Scott said. “This bothered me because I do three-a-day workouts.” It’s amazing that Scott is even around to run and work. Last March, on the way back from a CUB utility-bill clinic, he was involved in a multiple-vehicle accident in which his car crumpled like paper after being pushed into an oncoming semi. Although he was wearing a seatbelt, Scott said he was thrown from the car, landed knee first on the road, and shattered his hip socket. The prognosis: Soreness for months, and possibly long-term complications, such as arthritis. But just six days after the accident—and months before he would walk on his own—Scott returned to CUB to help promote Illinois’ community solar and energy efficiency programs. “Getting back to work quickly was important to me because I had made commitments to several individuals and organizations, either to attend events, or to assist in some other way,” he said. Scott’s dedication did not go unnoticed. Hundreds of CUB supporters signed a get-well card, and a Lombard resident sent the watchdog two checks—one for fighting rate hikes and one “For Scott.” “I am sincerely appreciative,” he said. “I never would have expected the kindness, patience and encouragement the staff, board, and members showed.” Now, Scott is happy to report that he’s ahead of his recovery schedule. At first, even balancing and walking were difficult—but he never quit through six weeks of physical therapy. And in August, he went for his first run. “I won’t lie, it was ugly,” Scott said, with his usual self-deprecating humor. “No distance or speed records are in danger.”

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