As of October, ComEd and Ameren Illinois are charging new electricity supply rates, and customers should know what they are to avoid bad deals peddled by alternative electricity suppliers, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Thursday in a statewide consumer warning. The non-summer prices, through May 2024, are listed on…...
ICC stats: IL consumers have lost $1.6B with alternative suppliers since 2015, but Ameren customers saved last year
Illinois consumers have lost about $1.6 billion total to alternative suppliers since 2015–but Ameren customers, for a change, saw some savings last year, according to a review of annual reports from the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD). Under Illinois law, ComEd, Ameren and MidAmerican customers are…...
What’s the difference between ARES plans and Community Solar?
By Marina Minic, CUB Solar Programs Administrator As we hold hundreds of events across the state, consumers sometimes ask us: What’s the difference between an alternative supplier offer and a relatively new option called Community Solar? The offers can sound deceptively similar, but there are big differences–and you should know…...
Here’s what you need to know about alternative electricity suppliers
During high-priced times, many consumers wonder if they should switch to an alternative supplier. However, when energy prices are up, alternative gas and electricity suppliers are often impacted by the same market conditions, so be careful about getting lured into bad deals. And two recent articles help drive that point…...
Watch Out For Alternative Supplier Rip-offs With These Tips
During high-priced times, consumers wonder if they should switch to a gas or electric alternative supplier. Be careful. “Alternative electricity suppliers are impacted by the same market conditions that are causing utility prices to increase, so be careful about getting lured into bad deals,” said CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna…...
CUB’s legal team takes on alternative suppliers in 2021
UPDATE: The Second District Appellate Court of Illinois upheld the Illinois Commerce Commission’s $1 million fine against LifeEnergy, another legal victory for consumers. In 2020, CUB secured a $1 million fine against the supplier, but it appealed to the higher court. Alternative electric supplier National Gas & Electric, LLC will…...
Alternative supplier agrees to pay $300,000 settlement
Alternative electric supplier Star Energy Partners LLC will pay a $300,000 settlement for alleged misleading marketing practices and agreed to stop pitching its products or enrolling customers in Illinois for two years. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved the settlement, which was negotiated by consumer advocates, including utility watchdog Citizens…...
