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ComEd, Ameren drop $15 M to raise our rates
August 25, 2010 — Almost as frustrating as the ComEd and Ameren campaigns to raise our rates is the amount the companies are spending in legal fees in the cases: $7 million for Ameren, and $8.5 million for ComEd.

Utilities are allowed to recover through customer rates the legal costs associated with 11-month rate cases before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). If the ICC approves the final amount, it is spread out on customers’ bills over two to four years.

ComEd just filed for a $396 million rate hike in June, and it claims is has spent $8.5 million so far in legal fees on the case. In the Ameren case, state regulators have already approved roughly $7 million to be recovered from customers. Ameren is appealing the ICC ruling that slashed its original $226 million rate-hike request by more than 90 percent, but CUB is fighting to keep the increase from going any higher.

“Illinois consumers are worried about paying the mortgage or building a college fund for their kids, and the utilities are burning millions to increase our bills,” CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen said. “A company spending that much to raise our rates calls into question the need for rate hikes.”

See a complete rundown of CUB's legal battles with the utilities at our Center for Rate-hike Fighters.