Consumer Advocacy

Back-to-back consumer refunds: Over $800 in savings!

January 17, 2019 jjones Consumer Advocacy

Jantay Gray, consumer advocacy assistant at CUB, recently helped two consumers land refunds–totaling $871.45! “I try my best to advocate for whom I believe to be the most vulnerable utility customers–the elderly and victims of economic disparities,” she said. Throughout the year, CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD) takes thousands of calls…...

‘Like magic’: Consumer Advocacy Department captures $108,000+ in savings

November 24, 2018 jchilsen Consumer Advocacy, Consumer Victories, Renewal

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…...

Consumer’s persistence and CUB lead to $797 Sprint credit

May 17, 2018 jjones Consumer Advocacy, Consumer Victories, Updates

Your monthly cellphone bill already takes a chunk out of your wallet, and even more if you have multiple people on one plan. So when Moira Melendez and her son Michael found a “buy one, get one free” offer, they thought they had come across a great deal. But the months…...

Spring report from CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna

April 27, 2018 jchilsen Consumer Advocacy, CUB Battles, Policy/legislation, Rate hike

By Julie Soderna, CUB General Counsel Just wanted to give you an update. The CUB staff and I are swamped with these battles in 2018: Fighting plans pushed by giant power generators to change electricity pricing rules in Washington and potentially raise ComEd bills by hundreds of millions of dollars.…...

From the CUB files: The case of the “mixed meter,” and a $495 refund

February 24, 2018 jchilsen Consumer Advocacy, Consumer Victories

Each year, thousands of Illinoisans call CUB with complaints or inquiries about their utility companies—that includes Charlene. The 75-year-old condo resident didn’t know why her electric bill had skyrocketed. She cares about efficiency—turns off lights, unplugs unused appliances, sets the thermostat no higher than 68 degrees, and avoids energy guzzlers…...

A message from Steve, a CUB Volunteer

November 21, 2017 jchilsen Consumer Advocacy, Natural Gas

My name is Steve, and one way I give back to my community is as a CUB member and volunteer. I’m proud of the work we’ve done this year—and one of my favorite moments is when I saved two customers from paying for an outrageous gas rip-off. So far, I’ve…...

Consumer Alert: Does your gas bill have a charge from Nicor Home Solutions?

November 16, 2017 jchilsen Alternative suppliers, Consumer Advocacy

When’s the last time you carefully looked at your Nicor Gas bill? Is there a charge from Nicor Home Solutions tucked away among all the other charges? If there is, get the facts: Fact: Nicor Home Solutions is NOT Nicor Gas, the regulated utility. Nicor Home Solutions is an unregulated affiliate…...

Are you cooling an empty home? There’s a solution

July 25, 2017 mkulling ComEd, Consumer Advocacy, smart thermostat, Updates

Amid the hottest month of the year, consumer advocates joined with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to make Chicago-area consumers aware that cooling an empty home while they are away at work or on vacation can cause summer energy bills to soar at a news conference…...

CUB Executive Director’s mid-year report

June 19, 2017 mkulling Consumer Advocacy, Consumer Complaints, Consumer Victories, CUB Action Network, Efficiency, energy efficiency, Updates

CUB’s legal team gets the headlines with the big victories, but our consumer advocacy and outreach teams offer vital help to individual consumers on a daily basis. The Chicago Tribune’s Help Squad profiled a recent CUB utility-bill clinic. We hold hundreds of events like this each year! Here’s what you and CUB…...

Join CUB’s Community Action Campaign

June 9, 2017 Samantha Ameren, ComEd, Consumer Advocacy, CUB, CUB Action Network, Electric bills, gas bills, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, rate cut, Rate hike, Updates

This June we’re challenging EVERYONE in Chicago to join CUB’s Community Action Campaign. In the battles below, Julie, CUB’s general counsel, is up against the best lawyers the utilities can buy. She can’t beat them alone, which is why you and your neighbors must join the fight. Remember they only win when…...

Back-to-back consumer refunds: Over $800 in savings!

‘Like magic’: Consumer Advocacy Department captures $108,000+ in savings

Consumer’s persistence and CUB lead to $797 Sprint credit

Spring report from CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna

From the CUB files: The case of the “mixed meter,” and a $495 refund

A message from Steve, a CUB Volunteer

Consumer Alert: Does your gas bill have a charge from Nicor Home Solutions?

Are you cooling an empty home? There’s a solution

CUB Executive Director’s mid-year report

Join CUB’s Community Action Campaign

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