{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Citizens Utility Board","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org","title":"Regulatory judges recommend reducing Nicor rate hike by $100 million, consumer advocates urge regulators to cut further | Citizens Utility Board","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"JHtKOXx5w7\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/10\/08\/regulatory-judges-recommend-reducing-nicor-rate-hike-by-100-million-consumer-advocates-urge-regulators-to-cut-further\/\">Regulatory judges recommend reducing Nicor rate hike by $100 million, consumer advocates urge regulators to cut further<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/10\/08\/regulatory-judges-recommend-reducing-nicor-rate-hike-by-100-million-consumer-advocates-urge-regulators-to-cut-further\/embed\/#?secret=JHtKOXx5w7\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Regulatory judges recommend reducing Nicor rate hike by $100 million, consumer advocates urge regulators to cut further&#8221; &#8212; Citizens Utility Board\" data-secret=\"JHtKOXx5w7\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"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":"A recommendation pending before state regulators would shave a record-setting rate hike proposal now looming over 2.3 million Nicor Gas customers by more than $100 million, or about one-third, but consumer advocates say there is more fat to trim from the prosperous utility\u2019s bid for a bloated increase in heating bills. On Monday, administrative law judges for the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) published an opinion prescribing a $109.8 million reduction in Nicor\u2019s proposed $314.2 million rate hike (Docket No. 25-0055), which the ICC is expected to rule on in late November. While the judge&#8217;s opinion, known as a Proposed Order, advises the Commission to cut the whopping increase by about a third, it still would leave consumers saddled with an increase of about $204.4 million at the same time they\u2019re struggling to keep up with spiraling energy prices and rising costs across the board. In fact, under the Proposed Order, Nicor would be entitled to collect its fifth rate hike in eight years, just as consumers are still reeling from a summer when electricity prices skyrocketed. It would also inject another financial windfall into the bulging coffers of Nicor\u2019s corporate parent, Southern Company, which has amassed more than $25 billion in profits since 2017, when the utility\u2019s rate-hike spree started. Consumer advocates, including the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Illinois PIRG, and the Illinois Attorney General\u2019s office, have urged the ICC to adopt cuts that would slash Nicor\u2019s proposed increase about in half, at least. CUB characterized the Proposed Order as a sizable step in the right direction, but urged the ICC to go far beyond the recommendation and make tens of millions of dollars in additional cuts to Nicor\u2019s proposed increase. \u201cThis Proposed Order is a promising step toward holding Nicor accountable, but we hope regulators will see that there\u2019s plenty more room to do justice for consumers by eliminating wasteful spending and a bloated profit rate for shareholders,\u201d said CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz. \u201cNow more than ever, consumers are counting on state regulators to alleviate the burden of relentlessly escalating utility costs, because no one should have to choose between keeping the heat on in the winter and putting food on the table.\u201d Among the largesse that consumer advocates are seeking to eliminate from the rate hike, chief examples include: Excessive profit rate for shareholders. Nicor is pushing to increase its \u201cReturn on Equity\u201d (ROE)\u2014or profit rate for shareholders\u2014from about 9.51 percent to 10.35 percent. That would needlessly cost customers $47.4 million a year, CUB argues. To make matters worse, Nicor\u2019s proposal to spread that wealth across more shareholders, increasing its \u201cequity ratio,\u201d would cost another $28.6 million a year. That comes out to a total of $76 million. Lavish executive bonuses. Nicor wants to force customers to pay for bonuses the company gives to executives for reaching financial goals that help enrich shareholders but have absolutely no benefit to customers. This would improperly raise costs for customers by $18.1 million a year, CUB argues. High customer charge. Nicor wants to burden customers with a higher fixed customer charge, raising it from $19.48 to $23.41 a month. That [&hellip;]","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/ICC-Building.jpg","thumbnail_width":1852,"thumbnail_height":1042}