(800) 669-5556

Blog

As Ameren Rolls in Profits and Pushes for Higher Rates, Consumer Groups Call for Cutting Ameren’s Gas Rate-Hike Request by Two-thirds

Ameren Illinois’ push to win the largest shareholder profit rate of any major gas utility in the state is unjust and unreasonable, and its $134 million rate-hike request is about triple what the utility can justify under the law, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Illinois PIRG and Environmental Defense Fund…...

Read more

Considering solar? CUB encourages you to use Illinois Shines’ Homeowner Handout

CUB encourages consumers to utilize the newly launched resource, Illinois Shines: Selecting a Solar Company: Green and Red Flags, to make informed decisions regarding going solar. This is the first handout in the Illinois Power Agency’s (IPA) Homeowner Handout Series, which is part of an expanding resource library designed to…...

Read more

CUB Q&A: Why is ComEd’s electricity price spiking? 

A record price spike in an electricity “capacity auction” means the supply price for Commonwealth Edison will increase significantly on June 1. Read CUB’s Q&A. What happened? Last summer, power grid operator PJM Interconnection announced the results of its latest capacity auction (technically referred to as the “Base Residual Auction”).…...

Read more

High-bill Alert: Consumers face multiple electric/gas rate hikes—so who’s cashing in?

Special report: Illinois consumers in 2025 are being threatened with rate hikes on both sides of the bill—supply and delivery—as big energy companies and utilities push for windfall profits. Energy Price Spikes In April alone, most Illinois utilities saw gas prices jump by up to 104 percent, compared to last…...

Read more

Consumer Advocates Urge Regulators To Cut Nicor’s Record Rate Hike By More Than Half; Decry Excessive Profits, Wasteful Executive Bonuses

Nicor Gas’ bid for a record-breaking $308.6 million rate hike is rife with excesses and should be slashed by more than half, according to testimony submitted to state regulators by the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Illinois PIRG, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and other consumer advocates.  CUB warned the Illinois Commerce…...

Read more

Elevated prices: CUB’s May report on gas market volatility

In May, prices for all 9 major Illinois gas utilities were higher than they were a year ago, led by Peoples Gas, which is charging customers a supply price that is about 116 percent higher; North Shore Gas, with a price about 81 percent higher and Nicor Gas, with a…...

Read more

Ahead of summer price spike: CUB’s money-saving events in May

As we head toward an expensive summer of high electric bills for both Ameren and ComEd customers, CUB is holding several free events to give you money-saving energy efficiency tips to help you prepare your home for the heat. We hope to see you at an event soon! 10:00 a.m. –…...

Read more

CUB announces return of solar group-buy program

CUB is partnering with county governments, a nonprofit and solar professionals to promote a group-buy program that can secure deep discounts on solar installations and help participants cut their power bills by hundreds of dollars a year. Switch Together–formerly “Solar Switch”– is a nationwide program that makes rooftop solar installations…...

Read more

CUB’s 2025 Earth Month Challenge–we’ve got a winner!

We asked for your stories on how you planned to celebrate Earth Month, and you inspired us! Congratulations to our Earth Month Challenge winner, Dawn, a Chicago teacher who planned to celebrate by organizing fun activities for her students. She was randomly selected to win a $50 gift card.  …...

Read more

ICC’s ruling sets stage for “time-of-use” rate, another good choice for consumers

Next year, ComEd customers will have the option of signing up for a “time-of-use” rate, or TOU, that can help them save money while reducing strain on the power system.      The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which CUB supported, required ComEd to offer such a rate, and under a…...

Read more