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Ameren

Land of Lincoln leading the nation: An information bill of rights for smart meter customers

Illinois could become the first state to require electric utilities to give customers quick and easy access to their own energy-usage data, under a proposal filed with state regulators by the Environmental Defense Fund and CUB. The is a key time for Illinois electric customers, as ComEd and Ameren launch…...

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They made how much?

We’re fighting the utilities in nearly $1 billion in rate-hike battles, but a review of their parent companies’ 2nd quarter earnings would have more than a few Illinois consumers scratching their heads as to why the companies need all that extra cash. The parent companies of ComEd, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas,…...

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Appellate court ruling rains on ComEd’s parade

Ever had to suffer through a long, expensive, food-spoiling power outage? Yep, it stinks. Even worse, for years, ComEd has dodged giving compensation to its customers in such outages. Those days may be over, thanks to a recent Illinois Appellate Court decision. Crain’s Chicago Business reported recently that the Appellate Court…...

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The 5 most annoying things about Illinois’ power grid (and what a smarter grid could do about it)

Illinois’ power grid—the aging lines and equipment that deliver electricity to our doorstep—has become a costly headache for electric customers.  The “smart grid,” which is an umbrella term for grid upgrades, could help change that. CUB has compiled a list of the most annoying consumer headaches that ComEd and Ameren…...

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Which company grinds your gears?

Over 30 years of service, we have seen all sorts of utility mischief: sky-high bills, unresponsive customer service, confusing rates. And in a year of astronomical prices and frequent rate-hike requests, we know there’s still plenty to complain about. So here’s your chance to air it out: In honor of CUB’s 30th anniversary, we’re…...

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Making history: CUB opens new office in Hillsboro as smart grid improvements begin

As Illinois embarks on historic changes that will impact electric customers, the Decatur Herald & Review reports that CUB is making history of its own, opening the consumer group’s first office in Central Illinois. Outreach Coordinator Rajiv Ravulapati and Environmental Outreach Coordinator Scott Allen will work out of the new office…...

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Municipal aggregation ain’t what it used to be

Want to see just how drastically Illinois’ electric market has changed? Take a look at what’s happening to “municipal aggregation.” Aggregation is where local leaders negotiate power prices with alternative suppliers on behalf of their residents. A few years ago, it was an almost-universally great idea for communities. In fact, in…...

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Consumer alert: Is your utility on the phone, or a scam artist?

Lisle Elsbury, a business owner from Utica, received a call from “Ameren.” He was told that his power-bill payment didn’t go through and that he needed to make a quick payment to avoid service shut off. Elsbury didn’t buy it. He had recently paid his utility bill so he knew it…...

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CUB Smart Power Center

Ameren and ComEd are spending $3 billion to install new digital meters across Illinois over the next several years.  Folks have a lot of questions about these updates: What is a smart meter?  Will my bill change?  How can I save money with the new meters?  Is dog spit really…...

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Breaking: CUB, City of Chicago call for probe of Illinois electric market

Just four weeks ago, when CUB released a report on Illinois’ electricity market, we warned consumers about bad power deals. Today, CUB and the City of Chicago took another step forward to reform the market. CUB and the City today filed a petition asking the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to launch…...

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