Illinois man remembered as kind-hearted seeker of knowledge As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) celebrates its 35th anniversary, we are honored to receive a generous memorial gift from the family of an Illinois man, Chris Conrad, who had a lifelong passion for shining a light on inequity and injustice. The…...
CUB honored by gift in memory of Chris Conrad
Illinois man remembered as kind-hearted seeker of knowledge As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) celebrates its 35th anniversary, we are honored to receive a generous gift from the Chris Conrad Memorial Light-the-Way Fund. The $20,000 gift honors Chris Conrad’s lifelong passion for shining a light on inequity and injustice. We…...
Working for a clean energy future as easy as 1-2-3
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) staffs more than 400 free events a year—which means just about every day the consumer group is somewhere in Illinois spreading an important message: clean energy = affordable energy. Jim’s a believer. He’s a frequent visitor to CUB events and recently dropped by our utility-bill…...
‘Like magic’: Consumer Advocacy Department captures $108,000+ in savings
Each year, thousands of Illinois consumers contact CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD), to ask a question or file a complaint about an electric, gas, or telecom/cable company behaving badly. In 2018 alone, the department saved people more than $108,000, including: • $62,082.76, for an apartment building that was the victim of…...
Q&A on the Capacity Battle
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, CUB filed comments before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), protesting a proposal favored by out-of-state fossil-fuel generators that could undermine Illinois energy policy and send ComEd bills skyrocketing. Specifically, the generators want to change the rules governing a special electricity market—called a “capacity market”—that covers…...
The heating-affordability crisis
By Bryan McDaniel CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs CUB has been working with other consumer advocates to reform the Peoples Gas pipeline-replacement program–the utility’s mismanaged project that threatens to spark what Crain’s Chicago Business called a “heating-affordability crisis.” Last week I came face-to-face with the heating-affordability crisis. I met with…...
Q&A on AT&T ending the Lifeline discount for landline customers
CUB has been getting calls from AT&T customers concerned about a letter they received from the company announcing the end of a low-income discount on landline service. Read CUB’s Q & A. What happened? In September, certain AT&T landline customers received a letter from the company with the headline: “Your…...
CUB reacts to Gov. Rauner signing HB 4508, bad water bill
Statement by Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs: We are disappointed that the General Assembly passed and, now, Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed House Bill 4508. CUB fought vigorously to improve this bill, arguing that customers of Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois should not be forced to finance…...
