1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="1fLg2b8Raw"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2023/10/19/day-of-action-consumer-advocates-urge-officials-to-say-no-to-peoples-gas-402m-rate-hike-yes-to-clean-affordable-buildings-ordinance/">Day of Action: Consumer advocates urge officials to say no to Peoples Gas’ $402M rate hike, yes to Clean & Affordable Buildings Ordinance</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2023/10/19/day-of-action-consumer-advocates-urge-officials-to-say-no-to-peoples-gas-402m-rate-hike-yes-to-clean-affordable-buildings-ordinance/embed/#?secret=1fLg2b8Raw" width="600" height="338" title="“Day of Action: Consumer advocates urge officials to say no to Peoples Gas’ $402M rate hike, yes to Clean & Affordable Buildings Ordinance” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="1fLg2b8Raw" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","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); /* ]]> */ </script> Members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) on Thursday flooded an Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) meeting and later held a rally outside City Hall to call for cheaper, cleaner ways to heat Chicago homes. The day of action came shortly after the utility filed new numbers with the ICC concerning customer debt. In September, before many people turn on the heat, between 33% and 46% of households in the following neighborhoods were in debt with Peoples Gas: Englewood, West Garfield Park, South Shore, Chatham, Auburn Gresham, Woodlawn, South Austin, Roseland, North Kenwood and Grand Crossing. The average debt ranges from $530 to $963 per household. Wearing t-shirts that proclaimed “Chicagoans Deserve Clean and Affordable Heat,” advocates filled the room (and an overflow room) at the regular open meeting of the ICC Thursday. They showed their opposition to Peoples Gas pushing for the highest gas rate hike in Illinois history—$402 million—despite the fact that the company has made six straight years of record profits. Meanwhile, Chicagoans already pay an average of about $50 to Peoples Gas every month before they even turn on their gas. The ICC, a five-member board appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker, will make a final decision on the rate hike by the end of November. Earlier this month, an administrative law judge released a draft decision that would lower the rate hike by around $50 million. Advocates and community members urged the ICC to do more to lower the rate hike, reduce fixed monthly charges, reform the Peoples Gas pipe-replacement program, and rein in wasteful spending going forward. Later, the group moved across the street for a rally calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago City Council to pass a Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO), which would require new buildings to be heated by electricity, not dirty, expensive gas. Chicago has been suffering through a heating-affordability crisis in recent years, marked by rapidly rising gas bills to pay for Peoples Gas’ behind-schedule and over-budget pipeline replacement program. Customers have paid a high price for the utility’s mismanagement: In September, about one in five customers were more than 30 days behind on their bills by a total of $91.8 million. That’s even worse than ComEd, which has about five times as many customers. A poll over the summer showed Chicagoans against the Peoples Gas rate hike 61%-32%, with Black and Brown Chicagoans most vehemently opposed (71% of Black, 66% of Latino Chicagoans). The concern about Peoples Gas bills is so severe that the Clean Jobs Coalition announced in August that it had launched a campaign to pass a Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO). The ordinance would be the first step in a long-term, equitable plan to move to cheaper, healthier ways to heat homes. It would set emissions standards to ensure new Chicago buildings are built all-electric, and commit the City to develop a plan for existing large buildings to reduce their pollution and cost to consumers. As winter approached, consumer advocates gathered on Thursday to push for a clean, affordable energy future. The following are statements from people who spoke at the ICC or […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CUB_IL_LogoBadgeRGBAdminLogo.png254254