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Alternative suppliers

CUB helps consumer secure $203 refund from alternative supplier rip-off

CUB’s Ivonne Rychwa helped a visitor to one of our popular utility bill clinics secure a $203 refund after being overcharged by an alternative supplier. Ivonne, CUB’s Lead Community Liaison, met Teofilo at the Round Lake Utility Bill Clinic on Aug. 19 and discovered that he was in the kind…...

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What CUB caught at a recent utility-bill clinic

At CUB utility-bill clinics across the state, we talk to a lot of people  who are, unfortunately, paying a painfully high rate with an alternative supplier. Recently we met Elibrando , who was being charged more than double ComEd’s rate. Elibrando came to a CUB clinic to find out why…...

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Scam alert: Who’s at your door?

Warning: Both ComEd and Ameren say they’ve seen an increase in reports of scammers posing as the utility companies to try to bilk customers out of their hard-earned money. One TV station reported on these scams just this month. “Scammers are using increasingly advanced tactics and they are very convincing,”…...

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The HEAT Act: One of the nation’s toughest consumer protection laws against gas and electric rip-offs

In a victory for consumers, the Illinois General Assembly has unanimously passed and the governor has signed one of the nation’s toughest consumer-protection laws to fight rip-offs peddled by alternative electric and gas suppliers. At the end of May, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed the Home Energy Affordability and…...

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Good news on a Friday night: General Assembly passes historic consumer protections

Just wanted to share this statement from CUB Executive Director David Kolata on a major victory for consumers at the General Assembly tonight: STATEMENT FROM CUB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID KOLATA ON PASSAGE OF HEAT ACT The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) thanks the General Assembly for passing the HEAT Act, historic…...

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HEAT Act would protect consumers from predatory alternative suppliers

Today CUB joined Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and other consumer advocates urging the General Assembly to pass legislation to protect consumers from predatory practices and high costs from alternative energy suppliers “This legislation would right some of the wrongs in the alternative supplier industry,” said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s Director…...

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In 35 years of consumer advocacy, this is one of the highest gas rates CUB has ever seen

Dale Fiene has his gas bill set to autopay, so he doesn’t usually look at it too closely—until January, that is, when his gas bill soared to more than $440. By the time he got his most recent bill this March, he saw that his gas supplier was listed as…...

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ICC investigates four alternative suppliers

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has brought four cases against alternative electric suppliers for allegedly violating marketing-related rules. CUB has gotten involved in the cases to make sure consumers’ voices are heard. Buried in the legal language are stories from consumers alleging outrageous behavior from some alternative suppliers. Here’s a…...

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Act Now: The battle for a better electric bill

You may not know it, but the latest battle against bad deals is happening right on your electric bill. You’ve heard us tell all the horror stories of people paying skyrocketing bills at the hands of an alternative electric supplier. And you’ve heard us emphasize that one of the best…...

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Warn your neighbors

Warning: This fall, CUB uncovered one of the highest rates we’ve ever seen with an electric supplier. With Just Energy, “Amy” was locked on a payment of $60 per month for her electricity supply. With the amount of electricity she used in October, that meant she paid 24.9 cents per…...

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