{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Citizens Utility Board","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org","title":"Understanding Your Budget-Billing Plan | Citizens Utility Board","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"T8bfWbfixJ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/electric_budgetbilling\/\">Understanding Your Budget-Billing Plan<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/electric_budgetbilling\/embed\/#?secret=T8bfWbfixJ\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Understanding Your Budget-Billing Plan&#8221; &#8212; Citizens Utility Board\" data-secret=\"T8bfWbfixJ\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","description":"[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Understanding Your Budget-Billing Plan&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text] [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;What Is a Budget-Billing Plan?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column_text]Illinois gas and electric utilities offer &#8220;budget-billing&#8221; plans that allow customers to even out their monthly bills. Natural gas customers pay more than they would in the summer and less in the winter, while the opposite is true for electric customers. It&#8217;s important to read the fine print so you understand exactly what you&#8217;re agreeing to when you sign\u00a0up.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1475699797969{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;How Does a Budget-Billing Plan Work?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]Budget-billing plans DON&#8217;T reduce the amount customers pay to heat and cool their homes. Rather, they spread the payments out over a certain period, usually a year. Utilities consider such factors as the total amount a customer paid for natural gas or electricity usage the year before, projected gas and electric prices, and weather conditions to come up with an estimated monthly budget\u00a0amount. The utility will continue to take monthly meter readings to determine a customer&#8217;s actual usage and at the end of the designated budget-billing period, the company will compare estimated and actual usage. At this &#8220;settlement&#8221; time, if actual usage is greater than the estimated usage, the customer will have to pay off that\u00a0difference. Some utilities will allow you to add that debt to the next year&#8217;s budget-billing amount, while others may demand immediate payment. If actual usage is less than the estimated amount, the customer receives a credit, which may also be rolled over to the next year&#8217;s budget-billing amount. Some utilities pay interest on the\u00a0credit.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1475699797969{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Will a Customer&#8217;s Monthly Bill Ever Change Under a Budget-Billing Plan?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]Yes. Budget-billing plans do not necessarily protect you from bill fluctuations. For example, if the price of natural gas changes dramatically or if your actual usage is much higher than the estimated amount, utilities may change your monthly payment so you don\u2019t have a large debt at the end of the budget-billing period. For example, under Ameren\u2019s \u201cbudget-billing plan,\u201d the utility reviews a customer\u2019s monthly bill every fourth and eighth month, and if the bill increases or decreases by at least $3 from the estimated amount, the utility will adjust the bill to keep the customer\u2019s payments evened out. Peoples Gas reviews a customer\u2019s account each month, and will change the monthly installment if your payment needs to change by at least 25 percent. Smaller changes will be adjusted every six months. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1475699797969{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;How is Nicor Gas&#8217; Budget-Billing Plan Different From Other Utilities&#8217; Plans?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]Nicor is the only major gas utility in the state that charges budget-billing customers interest on an unpaid balance. Nicor and other utilities pay interest on credit balances accrued by customers, but Nicor is the only company that charges interest on the unpaid balance. See the chart for more information on the budget-billing plans of major Illinois utilities.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/CUB_IL_LogoBadgeRGBAdminLogo.png","thumbnail_width":254,"thumbnail_height":254}