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CUB Q&A: The Low-Income Discount Rate (LIDR) Program for gas customers | Citizens Utility Board

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:44:20 +0000

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Op-Ed: Frustrated–even ‘heartbroken’–Nicor customers wonder when enough is enough

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 22:26:03 +0000

By Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board Nicor Gas usually delivers the heat, but at a recent Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) public forum in Joliet the utility was the one on the hot seat–over escalating bills. One Nicor customer walked to the microphone and directly addressed the utility bigwigs who were on stage to champion their proposal for the largest gas hike in Illinois history. The consumer said she was “heartbroken” over high gas bills that were burdening families. “We’re still suffering,” she said, calling on Nicor to lower bills so they are “truly affordable for all of us.” Given Nicor’s track record, it’s doubtful Illinois’ biggest gas utility got the message. Nicor has slapped its over 2 million customers with four rate hikes since 2017–raising delivery rates by 114 percent, or $747 million, and helping its parent, Southern Co., laugh all the way to the bank with $25.2 billion in profits. Now, Nicor wants a fifth: $316.5 million–a state record that would raise bills by 9.28 percent, or an average of $7.70 per month. If the utility gets its way, this increase would hit just in time for winter. Over the last decade, excessive, wasteful gas-pipeline spending has been business-as-usual for major Illinois utilities like Peoples Gas, Ameren Illinois and Nicor. Because they earn a profit on their capital investments, gas utilities are incentivized to overspend, and our bills have skyrocketed. Seeing their gravy train ending in decades to come, with consumers and regulators becoming more aware of the hazards of gas, these companies have resorted to serial rate hikes, as Illinois begins the long-term transition from fossil fuels. Nicor is an excellent example of this business model. Testimony filed by the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Illinois PIRG, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office have shown that the utility’s fifth rate-hike request in less than a decade is so full of waste and excess that it’s about double what Nicor can possibly justify under state law. CUB alone found more than $111 million in overcharges, and when the Attorney General’s recommendations are taken into consideration, the reductions surge to nearly $153 million. And that total still doesn’t account for all of the reductions identified by other parties in the case. Some of the most egregious examples of overcharges include: Exorbitant profit rate. Nicor wants to exploit struggling customers to further enrich its shareholders. Its rate hike would unfairly raise bills by nearly $50 million to fund a bloated 10.35 percent profit rate – known as “Return on Equity” (ROE)—for private investors. Lavish Bonuses. Nicor wants another $18 million to reward executives with bonus compensation for reaching financial goals that help enrich shareholders but have absolutely no benefit to customers. Excessive Monthly Charge. Nicor wants to raise its monthly customer charge by about 20 percent to $23.41. But that just punishes customers who want to use energy efficiency to lower their bills. Wasteful program. Nicor’s TotalGreen pilot program should be eliminated. It invites customers to pay a premium on monthly bills to lower their carbon footprint via carbon offsets and “renewable natural gas” credits of questionable environmental benefit. After two years, only 131 of Nicor’s […]

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CUB’s monthly report on gas market volatility: Price spikes in April 2025

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:03:36 +0000

April gas supply prices are elevated for most utilities, led by Peoples Gas, which is charging a supply rate that is more than 100 percent higher than last year; Illinois Gas, which is up by about 75 percent; and Nicor Gas, which is up by about 71 percent. “These numbers are particularly disappointing and disturbing, given that on the other side of the bill two utilities, Nicor and Ameren, are trying to increase delivery rates for next winter, which means their customers could have an even harder time affording their bills if gas supply prices remain elevated,” CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen said. “We are challenging the delivery rate hikes, but with these supply price spikes we’re at the mercy of an extremely volatile gas market. I hope we have a warmer spring so these elevated prices don’t hurt as much.” Chilsen added that energy efficiency measures at home also can help blunt the impact of these supply increases. (See tips below.) The EIA’s Short Term Energy Outlook says gas prices could be up over the next two years. So why are prices up? Forbes reported in March that prices in the United States had soared because of high demand and constrained supply, thanks to multiple factors, including extreme weather, record liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to feed increased demand in Europe and Asia, and other global issues, such as the war in Ukraine. “This surge has significant implications for consumers, industries, and energy markets worldwide,” Forbes reported. Gas utilities in the state file supply prices–called the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)–each month with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Here’s what CUB uncovered in our review of prices in April. Compared with last month (March 2025), prices were higher for five of 9 utilities: Ameren (about 5 percent higher than last month), Illinois Gas (about 28 percent), Peoples Gas (about 30 percent), Liberty Utilities (about 40 percent) and Nicor Gas (about 53 percent higher). These four utilities saw supply price decreases: North Shore Gas (about 0.7 percent lower), MidAmerican Energy (about 5.5 percent), Consumers Gas (about 29 percent) and Mt. Carmel (about 36 percent lower). Compared with April 2024, prices were higher for seven of 9 utilities, ranging from about about 9 percent higher for Ameren to about 103.6 percent higher for Peoples Gas. Of the two utilities with lower prices compared with last April, the price for Liberty Utilities was about 5 percent lower and the price for Consumers Gas was about 11 percent lower. Below, see the full list comparing the PGAs for this month with a year ago. April Gas Prices Ameren Illinois– 48.89 cents per therm (up about 9 percent from April 2024) Consumers Gas– 30.66 cents per therm (down about 11 percent from April 2024) Illinois Gas– 66.91 cents per therm (up about 75 percent from April 2024) Liberty Utilities– 60.5 cents per therm (down about 5 percent from April 2024) MidAmerican Energy– 57.79 cents per therm (up about 57 percent from April 2024) Mt. Carmel– 35.71 cents per therm (up about 25 percent from April 2024) Nicor Gas– 58.0 cents per therm (up about 71 percent […]

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Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition research shows a “painful history” of aggressive gas hikes

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 21:36:54 +0000

In a little more than a decade, Illinois’ three major gas utilities have raised delivery rates by close to $1.5 billion, almost doubling what customers pay–and aggressive utility spending threatens to make it even worse for consumers in years to come, according to research by members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, including Illinois PIRG and CUB. “These statistics outline a painful history for gas customers, and they serve as a warning that it could get even worse if Illinois doesn’t rein in out-of-control spending by gas utilities and start planning for a managed transition to cheaper, cleaner forms of heat in years to come,” said Jim Chilsen, CUB director of communications. He added that this year’s Illinois Commerce Commission ruling on the Peoples Gas pipeline-replacement program was a significant step in the right direction. The core of the problem with escalating gas bills is aggressive spending by gas utilities on massive capital projects (the companies are incentivized by their rate structure to overspend). Here’s what consumers have faced with Illinois’ three top gas utilities, according to ICJC research. Nicor Gas… Has raised rates by 114 percent since 2017 – totaling $747 million. (Before this stretch, Nicor had raised rates by less than 30 percent over more than two decades.) Has raised rates more than any major utility in Illinois, even ComEd. Wants yet another rate hike–what would be a state-record $309 million increase. Wants to increase its shareholder profit rate to an outrageous 10.35 percent. Ameren Illinois… Has raised gas rates by $202 million, or 50 percent, since 2018. Wants to raise rates yet again, this time by $134 million. Wants to increase its profit rate for shareholders to an outrageous 10.7 percent. Peoples Gas… Has raised rates by $499 million, or 98 percent, since 2011–including a state-record $303 million rate hike in 2023. (Peoples is expected to file for yet another rate hike either this year or next.) Has raked in record profits seven out of the last eight years, thanks to its over-budget, behind-schedule pipe-replacement program. (State regulators recently ordered Peoples to reform the program to cost-effectively focus on replacing the riskiest pipes.) And it could get much worse if utilities across the state are allowed to spend at the pace they want. An analysis released by Groundwork Data and the Building Decarbonization Coalition in May 2024 found that if policymakers allow the status quo to continue, delivery charges–what the utilities charge consumer to deliver gas to their homes–could grow by four to five times by 2050. (See page 72 of the report. Also, here’s a summary of the report.) It’s sobering to think that the grim statistics above only deal with gas delivery charges–not supply. Gas is a volatile commodity, so when supply prices spike again, like they did in 2021, customers will be socked with a double whammy–high supply and delivery rates, driving more people into crisis. Given that gas is so unsustainably expensive, CUB is glad that the ICC has been reining in the gas utilities in recent years, including the most recent ruling on the troubled Peoples Gas pipe-replacement program. We’re also pleased […]

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CUB’s monthly report on gas market volatility: March 2025

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:28:27 +0000

Gas utilities file supply prices–called the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)–each month with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Here’s what CUB uncovered in our review of prices in March. Compared with last month (February 2025), prices were higher for eight of 9 utilities: Ameren (about 0.24 percent higher), Illinois Gas (about 3.1 percent), Liberty Utilities (about 38.7 percent), MidAmerican Energy (about 10.6 percent), Mt. Carmel (about 11.7 percent), Nicor Gas (about 18.8 percent), North Shore Gas (about 13.8 percent) and Peoples Gas (about 4.5 percent). The lone utility that saw a price decrease was Consumers Gas, with an 11.3 percent decline since last month Compared with March 2024, prices were higher for six of 9 utilities, ranging from about 2.7 percent higher for Nicor to about 55.7 percent higher for Consumers Gas. Of the utilities with lower prices from a year ago, the drop ranged from about 1.7 percent lower for Ameren to about 36.4 percent lower for Liberty Utilities. Below, see the full list comparing the PGAs for this month with a year ago. March Gas Prices Ameren Illinois– 46.44 cents per therm (down about 1.7 percent from March 2024) Consumers Gas– 43.36 cents per therm (up about 55.7 percent from March 2024) Illinois Gas– 52.32 cents per therm (up about 47.5 percent from March 2024) Liberty Utilities– 43.35 cents per therm (down about 36.4 percent from March 2024) MidAmerican Energy– 61.17 cents per therm (up about 42.4 percent from March 2024) Mt. Carmel– 56.1 cents per therm (down about 29.8 percent from March 2024) Nicor Gas– 38.0 cents per therm (up about 2.7 percent from March 2024) North Shore Gas– 56.4 cents per therm (up about 45.4 percent from March 2024) Peoples Gas– 40.7 cents per therm (up about 20.1 percent from March 2024) Note: Your utility is determined by where you live, so you cannot switch from one utility to another. Under Illinois law, gas utilities are not allowed to profit off supply prices—they pass those costs from gas producers and marketers onto customers with no markup. State regulators annually review the utilities’ gas-management procedures to evaluate whether the companies did a reasonable job with their gas purchases, given market conditions, to hold down costs for consumers as much as possible. The gas utilities are allowed to profit off the delivery side of bills–and Nicor and Ameren Illinois are both pushing for rate hikes in 2025. If you are having trouble affording your gas bills, you are not alone! A few tips from CUB: See if you qualify for energy assistance. To apply or learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), visit this state of Illinois webpage. (Also, check out our Step by step guide to applying for LIHEAP.) Keep the lines of communication open with your utility. If you are having trouble affording your gas bills, it is vital that you contact your utility. Ask if you qualify for any energy assistance programs; see if you can set up a plan that gives you more time to pay off your bills; and inquire about no or low-cost energy efficiency programs the company offers. Practice energy […]

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CUB’s monthly report on gas market volatility: February 2025

Jim Chilsen — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 00:58:54 +0000

Gas utilities file supply prices–called the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)–each month with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Here’s what CUB uncovered in our review of prices in February. Compared with last month (January 2025), prices were higher for eight of 9 utilities: Ameren Illinois (about 1.8 percent higher), Illinois Gas (about 2.8 percent), MidAmerican (about 9.5 percent), North Shore Gas (about 10.9 percent), Nicor Gas (about 14.3 percent), Peoples Gas (about 16.4 percent), Consumers Gas (about 24.3 percent), and Liberty Utilities (about 24.4 percent). Mt. Carmel was the only utility that saw its price go down, by about 7.3 percent. Compared with February 2024, prices were higher for six of 9 utilities, ranging from 6.4 percent higher for Ameren Illinois to 43.5 percent higher for Consumers Gas. Of the utilities with lower prices from a year ago, the drop ranged from 1.9 percent lower for Mt. Carmel to 46.8 percent lower for Liberty Utilities. See the list below, comparing the PGAs for this month with a year ago. February Gas Prices Ameren Illinois– 46.32 cents per therm (up about 6.4 percent from February 2024) Consumers Gas– 48.89 cents per therm (up about 43.5 percent from February 2024) Illinois Gas– 50.77 cents per therm (up about 24.2 percent from February 2024) Liberty Utilities– 31.25 cents per therm (down about 46.8 percent from February 2024) MidAmerican Energy– 55.3 cents per therm (up about 12.6 percent from February 2024) Mt. Carmel– 50.24 cents per therm (down about 1.9 percent from February 2024) Nicor Gas– 32.00 cents per therm (down about 17.9 percent from February 2024) North Shore Gas– 49.57 cents per therm (up about 19.9 percent from February 2024) Peoples Gas– 38.94 cents per therm (up about 18.3 percent from February 2024) Note: Your utility is determined by where you live, so you cannot switch from one utility to another. Under Illinois law, gas utilities are not allowed to profit off supply prices—they pass those costs from gas producers and marketers onto customers with no markup. State regulators annually review the utilities’ gas-management procedures to evaluate whether the companies did a reasonable job with their gas purchases, given market conditions, to hold down costs for consumers as much as possible. A few tips from CUB: See if you qualify for energy assistance. To apply or learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), visit this state of Illinois webpage. (Also, check out our Step by step guide to applying for LIHEAP.) Keep the lines of communication open with your utility. If you are having trouble affording your gas bills, it is vital that you contact your utility. Ask if you qualify for any energy assistance programs; see if you can set up a plan that gives you more time to pay off your bills; and inquire about no or low-cost energy efficiency programs the company offers. Practice energy efficiency at home. Your Winter To-Do List: Save Money, Keep the Chill Out Tips for staying safe, warm and energy-efficient during Illinois winters Save energy and money with these winter efficiency tips Beware of alternative supplier rip-offs. If a deal seems too good […]

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CUB statement on Ameren’s proposed $134 million gas rate hike

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:36:17 +0000

Ameren Illinois has proposed a $134.4 million gas rate hike in 2025. The following is a statement from CUB. CUB will challenge Ameren’s Illinois’ proposed gas rate hike. Ameren has already won $111 million in gas rate hikes since 2021, helping to plunge too many consumers across Illinois into crisis while the utility’s parent company rolls in profits. And now the utility wants more. This punishing increase–which calls for hiking key delivery charges by more than 20 percent–would be a hardship for many Ameren customers. We urge the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to reduce the utility’s wasteful spending and hold it accountable to its customers. The volatile gas supply price, along with Ameren’s parade of delivery rate hikes, drive home the point that gas is bad for our bottom lines–in addition to our health and the climate. It is essential that Illinois begin to plan for the long-term transition away from gas to heating alternatives that are cheaper, cleaner and safer. -CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz Background: Ameren Illinois filed for a $134.4 million gas rate hike on Jan. 8 (Docket #25-0084). This request, which is actually closer to $187 million when accounting for taxes, begins an 11-month rate case before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The proposed hike, according to an initial filing, would increase the customer charge by about 24 percent, to $25.16 per month, and the per-therm distribution charge by about 28 percent to 56.207 cents per therm. The utility is proposing to increase its Return on Equity (ROE), or profit rate for shareholders, from 9.44 percent to 10.7 percent. This increase would impact delivery rates, which take up about a third to a half of gas bills. It’s what the utilities charge customers to cover the costs of delivering gas to homes— plus a profit. Ameren has received more than $111 million in gas rate hikes in less than five years: A $76 million hike in 2021 and a $35.2 million increase in 2023. Ameren’s parent company raked in $975 million in profits over the first nine months of 2024. Take action against Ameren’s rate-hike request: Sign our petition and file a public comment with regulators. There are plans and programs to assist customers who are having trouble paying their bills. We encourage consumers to contact their utility to get information about payment plans for which they may be eligible. Also, contact the Help Illinois Families call center, at 1-833-711-0374, to learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Ameren Illinois delivers gas to more than 800,000 customers in Illinois. The electric and gas utility covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles in Illinois.

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Joint News Release: Consumer Groups Launch Major TV Ad Campaign Urging Public to Oppose Record-Breaking Peoples Gas Rate Hikes

Jim Chilsen — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:01:03 +0000

With Chicago families already ailing from a decade of spiraling heating bills, an alliance of consumer and public-interest groups Wednesday launched a major advertising blitz aimed at thwarting a threat by Peoples Gas that would usher in an onslaught of record-breaking rate hikes over the next 15 years. (View a PDF of the news release, and read the story in the Chicago Sun-Times.) The nearly $1 million campaign, combining broadcast television spots and digital ads, is sponsored by the Utility Information Alliance (UIA) and backed by the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Faith in Place Action Fund, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), People for Community Recovery, and Sierra Club Illinois Chapter. (Note: CUB and the other groups did not contribute to the ad purchase–we helped create the content and reviewed it.) The campaign comes as Peoples Gas seeks Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approval of a plan to complete the utility’s controversial pipe-replacement program – a bid that would cost consumers nearly $13 billion and subject them to recurring waves of rate hikes that would each surpass the record-setting increase the company instituted just last year, according to a recently released study by CUB and energy industry research firm Groundwork Data. That report also found that Peoples customers would be forced to pay off the costs of the utility’s proposed spending spree on pipe-replacement for the next 75 years. The 30-second TV commercial, which denounces Peoples’ proposal as a “boondoggle,” and urges Peoples customers to voice their opposition to the ICC, will air in the Chicago and Springfield markets on all major broadcast networks starting January 22nd. The ad begins: “Peoples Gas. They keep pushing to raise your utility bills to pay for their $13 billion boondoggle. And if they win, it’ll be like giving them a blank check. Your heating bills could double.” The ad continues to lay out how consumers will face rate increase after rate increase, stating: “Customers could face yearly price hikes through the year 2040. All while they keep making record profits.” The 30-second spot closes with a call to action “The ICC has already stopped them once, so speak up and tell the ICC to shut down these unfair rate hikes again.” “For the groups sponsoring the ads, the scale of this campaign is unprecedented, but so is the magnitude of the threat looming over Peoples Gas customers,” said CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz. “We thank the ICC for launching an investigation into the pipe-replacement program, and we urgently need regulators to hold Peoples’ spending in check, because otherwise the results would be catastrophic for consumers.” Funding for the ads was provided by UIA, a charitable non-profit organization founded in 2023 to drive innovation and excellence across the utility sector, increase utilities’ accountability to the public they serve, and ensure they affordably meet their community’s current and future needs. The ads debut one week after ratepayer advocates delivered to the ICC 5,000 public comments urging reform of Peoples’ ongoing effort to overhaul its entire network of underground pipes. Known as the System Modernization Program (SMP), the project has been plagued by controversy since its inception, incurring […]

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CUB’s monthly report on gas market volatility: January 2025

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 16:03:41 +0000

Gas utilities file supply prices–called the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)–each month with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Here’s what CUB uncovered in our review of prices in January. Compared with last month, six of 9 major utilities are charging prices that are higher: Ameren (about 0.2 percent higher); Liberty Utilities (about 0.3 percent); Peoples Gas (about 5.4 percent); Illinois Gas (about 10.2 percent); Nicor Gas (about 12 percent); and Mt. Carmel (about 27.6 percent). Prices are lower for three utilities: North Shore Gas (about 0.4 percent lower); MidAmerican Energy (about 4.4 percent); and Consumers Gas (about 6.1 percent). Compared with January 2024, seven out of 9 utilities are charging prices that are higher, ranging from about 4.9 percent higher (Peoples Gas) to about 36.3 percent higher (Mt. Carmel). North Shore Gas, the sister company to Peoples Gas, is charging a price that’s about 8.6 percent higher. The two utilities charging lower prices are Nicor Gas (about 17.7 percent lower) and Liberty Utilities (about 22.2 percent). See the list below, comparing the PGAs for this month with a year ago. January Gas Prices Ameren Illinois– 45.50 cents per therm (up about 7.4 percent from January 2024) Consumers Gas– 39.34 cents per therm (up about 30.2 percent from January 2024) Illinois Gas– 49.40 cents per therm (up about 32.8 percent from January 2024) Liberty Utilities– 25.12 cents per therm (down about 22.2 percent from January 2024) MidAmerican Energy– 50.51 cents per therm (up about 16.1 percent from January 2024) Mt. Carmel– 54.22 cents per therm (up about 36.3 percent from January 2024) Nicor Gas– 28.00 cents per therm (down about 17.7 percent from January 2024) North Shore Gas– 44.71 cents per therm (up about 8.6 percent from January 2024) Peoples Gas– 33.45 cents per therm (up about 4.9 percent from January 2024) Note: Your utility is determined by where you live, so you cannot switch from one utility to another. Under Illinois law, gas utilities are not allowed to profit off supply prices—they pass those costs from gas producers and marketers onto customers with no markup. State regulators annually review the utilities’ gas-management procedures to evaluate whether the companies did a reasonable job with their gas purchases, given market conditions, to hold down costs for consumers as much as possible. A few tips from CUB: See if you qualify for energy assistance. To apply or learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), visit this state of Illinois webpage. (Also, check out our Step by step guide to applying for LIHEAP.) Keep the lines of communication open with your utility. If you are having trouble affording your gas bills, it is vital that you contact your utility. Ask if you qualify for any energy assistance programs; see if you can set up a plan that gives you more time to pay off your bills; and inquire about no or low-cost energy efficiency programs the company offers. Practice energy efficiency at home. Your Winter To-Do List: Save Money, Keep the Chill Out Tips for staying safe, warm and energy-efficient during Illinois winters Save energy and money with these winter efficiency tips […]

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CUB’s monthly report on gas market volatility: December

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 17:22:24 +0000

Gas utilities file supply prices–called the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)–each month with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Here’s what CUB uncovered in our review of prices in December. Compared with last month, five of 9 major utilities are charging prices that are lower, ranging from about 1.2 percent lower (Peoples Gas) to about 51.1 percent lower (Mt. Carmel). Nicor Gas’ price dropped by about 10.7 percent, Illinois Gas by 8.6 percent and Ameren Illinois by 7 percent. Prices were higher for four utilities: North Shore Gas (2.1 percent); Liberty Utilities (9.1 percent), MidAmerican (13.1 percent); and Consumers Gas (33.3 percent). Compared with December 2023, six out of 9 utilities are charging prices that are lower, ranging from about 2.2 percent (Illinois Gas) to about 40.8 percent (Liberty Utilities) lower. Nicor Gas is charging a supply rate that’s about 32.4 percent lower than last year, while Peoples Gas is charging a supply price that’s about 10.4 percent lower. The three utilities charging higher prices saw increases of about 6.2 percent (Ameren), 7.7 percent (Consumers Gas) and 34.9 percent (MidAmerican). See the list below, comparing the PGAs for December with the PGAs from December of 2023. December Gas Prices Ameren Illinois– 45.40 cents per therm (up about 6.2 percent from December 2023) Consumers Gas– 41.91 cents per therm (up about 7.7 percent from December 2023) Illinois Gas– 44.82 cents per therm (down about 2.2 percent from December 2023) Liberty Utilities– 25.04 cents per therm (down about 40.8 percent from December 2023) MidAmerican Energy– 52.82 cents per therm (up about 34.9 percent from December 2023) Mt. Carmel– 42.51 cents per therm (down about 27.7 percent from December 2023) Nicor Gas– 25.00 cents per therm (down about 32.4 percent from December 2023) North Shore Gas– 44.9 cents per therm (down about 4.4 percent from December 2023) Peoples Gas– 31.73 cents per therm (down about 10.4 percent from December 2023) Note: Your utility is determined by where you live, so you cannot switch from one utility to another. Under Illinois law, gas utilities are not allowed to profit off supply prices—they pass those costs from gas producers and marketers onto customers with no markup. State regulators annually review the utilities’ gas-management procedures to ensure the companies did a reasonable job with their gas purchases, given market conditions, to hold down costs for consumers as much as possible. A few tips from CUB: See if you qualify for energy assistance. The application process for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) opens again in October. To apply or learn more, visit this state of Illinois webpage. (Also, check out our Step by step guide to applying for LIHEAP.) Keep the lines of communication open with your utility. If you are having trouble affording your gas bills, it is vital that you contact your utility. Ask if you qualify for any energy assistance programs; see if you can set up a plan to give you a longer time to pay off your bills; and inquire about no or low-cost energy efficiency programs the company offers. Practice energy efficiency at home. Your Winter To-Do List: Save Money, […]

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