Welcome to the Phone Savings Center!
The bad news is you're probably paying too much for phone service. The good news is the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) can help you save. Just follow the five simple steps to savings below. If these tips help you, help us support and expand all the services we offer to cut your utility bills.

Watch CUB's video, "60 Seconds to Phone Savings."
1. Make the Consumer's Choice

If you're paying more than $25 a month for phone service, you're probably paying too much. But thanks to CUB, there are new ways to save. CUB designed three new, low-cost local calling plans, called Consumer's Choice, and AT&T is required to offer them. There are three packages, Consumer's Choice Basic, Extra and Plus, designed to match the way most consumers use their phone.

To find the plan that's right for you, get out your phone bill and use CUB's Local Phone Cost-cutter, or call our Phone Savings Hotline at 1-866-688-4282 for a free bill analysis. To order a Consumer's Choice Plan, call AT&T at 1-866-582-0713.
2. Use your cellphone as a money-saving friend

Do you have unused wireless minutes left over at the end of each month? Most consumers do. Use them for long-distance calls that you might otherwise make—and pay for—on your landline. Plus, see if you can downgrade to a lower-cost voice, text or data plan. CUB's Cell Phone Shopper's Guide and Prepaid Cellphone Guide can help you choose the best wireless plan for you. Bill Shrink, a free online service, may also offer helpful information about your wireless usage.
3. Drop "Line-Backer"

Too many people pay $8 per month for an OPTIONAL AT&T service that insures the phone wires inside your home. But what the phone company doesn't tell you is that repairs to those inside wires are extremely rare, only occurring about once every 30 years. Drop Line-Backer and you'll cut your phone bills by $96 a year. Your savings will more than cover the cost of any inside wire repair in the unlikely event you need one.
4. Take Advantage of Pioneer's $10 "CUB Credit"
Typical long-distance plans charge 7-10 cents per minute and slap you with a monthly fee of up to $5. But you can do much better. Pioneer Telephone offers some of the nation's lowest local toll and long-distance rates. Most Illinois consumers pay just 2-3 cents per minute, and CUB has negotiated a one-time $10 credit. The plan charges a $1.99 monthly "paper-bill fee" in months you make less than $20 worth of calls—but it's waived if you get online billing. The company also recently added a $1.49 Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee. Sign up for Pioneer online, or call 1-877-492-6878, and be sure to ask for the "CUB Credit." It will be applied automatically on your first bill and will carry over each month until you use it up. Remember, Pioneer covers all local toll and long-distance calls—those beyond roughly 15 miles from your home.

Note: Unless you have "slamming protection," you don't have to call your local and/or long-distance phone provider. Just call Pioneer and it will do the switch for you. Questions? Call CUB, at 1-866-688-4282."
5. Don't pay for directory assistance
Avoid paying up to $2 per call for traditional "411" service. Instead, get the number for free. There are numerous on-line white and yellow pages that give both residential and business listings free of charge. If you don't have Internet access—or need a number when you're not at a computer—try 1-800-FREE 411 for a residential or business listing. For business numbers only, call 1-800-555 TELL.