1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="K2WZrNDojv"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/08/11/grim-milestone-cub-review-of-state-data-finds-comed-ameren-residential-customers-have-lost-more-than-2-billion-to-alternative-power-suppliers-over-last-decade/">Grim milestone: CUB review of state data finds ComEd, Ameren residential customers have lost more than $2B to alternative power suppliers over last decade</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/08/11/grim-milestone-cub-review-of-state-data-finds-comed-ameren-residential-customers-have-lost-more-than-2-billion-to-alternative-power-suppliers-over-last-decade/embed/#?secret=K2WZrNDojv" width="600" height="338" title="“Grim milestone: CUB review of state data finds ComEd, Ameren residential customers have lost more than $2B to alternative power suppliers over last decade” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="K2WZrNDojv" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","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> Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois residential customers have lost a combined total of more than $258 million over the last year and more than $2 billion since 2015 to alternative electricity suppliers, according to a CUB review of annual state reports. The watchdog called for state passage of additional consumer protections and warned residential consumers across Illinois to beware of rip-offs peddled by alternative suppliers door-to-door, via mail and over the phone. “The numbers show that going with an alternative supplier can be a risky, financially painful gamble,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “This is a buyer-beware market. There are more reliable ways to save money, including energy efficiency.”  While ComEd and Ameren bill customers for delivering electricity over the power lines they own, under Illinois law, those customers can choose another company—an alternative supplier–to supply the actual electricity. The Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD), which focuses on electricity competition, recently released its 2025 annual report, covering June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025. Some findings: As of May 2025, about 1.18 million Illinois households were with an alternative supplier—about a 14 percent decrease from the year before. About 20 percent of ComEd residential customers are with an alternative supplier, and about 43 percent of Ameren customers. ComEd customers who were with an alternative supplier on average paid about 2.74 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more, compared with ComEd’s supply price. Ameren customers who were with an alternative supplier on average paid about 1.78 cents per kWh more, compared with Ameren’s supply rate.  The highest alternative supplier rates the ICC found were a 39 cents per kWh variable rate (a rate that can change monthly) in ComEd territory, and a 29 cents per kWh variable rate in Ameren territory. Both prices were about four to six times the utility supply prices at the time.  In the early days of competition—2011 to 2014—Illinoisans often saved money with alternative suppliers, mainly because utilities were locked into higher-priced electricity contracts. But after those contracts ended, suppliers had a harder time beating utility prices, according to CUB’s review of ORMD reports.  Total Losses, ComEd customers Total Losses, Ameren customers  June 2015-May 2016 $115.2 million (lost) $10.6 million (lost) June 2016-May 2017 $152.1 million (lost) $45.9 million (lost) June 2017-May 2018 $138.2 million (lost) $89.3 million (lost) June 2018-May 2019  $124.2 million (lost) $121.9 million (lost) June 2019-May 2020 $144.5 million (lost) $107.4 million (lost) June 2020-May 2021 $240.2 million (lost) $167.2 million (lost) June 2021-May 2022 $112.2 million (lost) $24.0 million (lost) June 2022-May 2023 $82.7 million (lost) $66.3 million (saved) June 2023-May 2024 $175.7 million (lost) $122.5 million (lost) June 2024-May 2025 $171.6 million (lost) $86.6 million (lost) Totals: $1.46 billion (lost) $709.1 million (lost) Grand Total: $2.17 billion (lost) Illinois passed landmark consumer protections in 2019, with the Home Energy Affordability and Transparency (HEAT) Act. But now CUB calls on Illinois legislators to build off the HEAT Act and pass additional common-sense reforms in House Bill 1284. The bill would require a customer signature if a supplier wants to increase an offer’s rate at the time of renewal. It […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BewareofBadAltSupplierDeals.jpg1200675