It’s that time of year again—renew your
CUB membership
December 8, 2008—In the next few weeks, you’ll receive a note asking you
to renew your CUB membership for 2009. With more than $640 million in
rate hikes pending, we hope you’ll agree that CUB deserves
your support now more than ever.
Next year, CUB will celebrate its 25th anniversary. As we look back over
the years, we’re proud of the $10 billion plus in savings we’ve won
Illinois consumers by fighting rate-hike hungry utilities. That number is sure
to get bigger after a busy 2008.
This year alone, CUB took on eight utility rate hikes, turning back $212 million in proposed increases. We held hundreds of phone-bill clinics, speaking engagements, and other events, handing out money-saving light bulbs and showing people how to cut their local, long-distance and cell-phone bills by a combined average of about $500 a year.
Our award-winning website launched the Cellphone Saver, making CUB the first nonprofit group in the nation to offer a free online tool that automatically analyzes wireless bills. So far, it’s showing people how to save about $300 a year. We also introduced the “Get Green” webpage, filled with money-saving tips and nifty tools, such as the “CFL” calculator, which shows how much money you can save with energy-efficient light bulbs.
CUB’s online Local Phone Cost-cutter reached new milestones, showing people how to slash their landline bills by a total of about $4 million. And when we uncovered one of the best long-distance deals we’ve ever seen, CUB wasn’t satisfied until we had negotiated a $20 credit for Illinois consumers.
However, as we continue to battle almost every major utility in the state, we’re just too busy to celebrate those savings. See, your checkbook-balancing interests are our interests. We know that every dollar that goes to your utility bills won’t go to the mortgage, retirement nest eggs, college funds and spending that could spark our ailing economy.
That’s why we fight so hard to make every contribution go a long way. When you’re on a tight budget and fighting multibillion-dollar corporations, you make every penny count. We leave the big spending to utility fat cats—and AIG executives.
So when you get that membership renewal this year, remember the $10 billion difference (and counting) we’ve made in Illinois as the utilities grab for more of your money.
We ask everyone to renew their membership at the beginning of the year—even new members—to help us plan for the battles ahead. Our tiny staff appreciates that you’ve always been there for us. And with your support, we’ll continue to be there for you.