Today, we have good news for energy efficiency— and your future power bills. The Supreme Court announced that it will review a 2014 Appellate Court decision that stripped the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) of its authority to promote, regulate and help develop “demand-response” programs in the energy market. Demand response refers to programs…...
Editorial roundup: the battle to protect electric customers in Springfield
Springfield is abuzz with two very different pieces of energy legislation, one that could help electric customers and another that could hurt them. One is the Illinois Clean Jobs bill (House Bill 2607/Senate Bill 1485), which would increase energy efficiency and renewable energy standards in Illinois. A CUB analysis found that the…...
Utilities stand in the way of money-saving pricing plans
If there was a program that could reduce demand on the power grid AND lower your electric bills AND cut harmful pollution, you would think that was a pretty good plan, right? The big electric companies disagree. CUB recently asked state regulators to explore the idea of ComEd and Ameren offering an optional…...
Hey FERC: Investigate the rate hike!
Ameren customers recently received terrible news: Power prices will skyrocket June 1. It’s all because of an exponential increase in capacity costs—what consumers pay to ensure power plants are able to deliver electricity on the highest-demand days of the year. The average household could see electric bills rise by as much as $150 annually…...
CUB turns bad customer service into a $215 refund
By Samantha Vercellino Almost two years ago Helen Paul cancelled her services with the alternative supplier Kona Energy and switched back to the regulated utility. However, just recently she discovered her termination request never went through. Kona Energy was still her supplier. The Hazel Crest resident wasted no time calling…...
Q&A about June 1 electric rate hikes in Central, Southern Illinois
Ameren customers, you could be in for a rate hike on June 1. Read this Q&A to get the latest details. What’s happening? Customers in Central and Southern Illinois who are paying Ameren Illinois’ electricity supply rates may see a significant increase in their power bills from June 1, 2015 through…...
Electricity updates: The good, the bad, and the ugly
The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind of electricity-related developments. We’ve got some good news and bad news for Illinois consumers. First, the good. We’ve been saying for years that efficiency pays— and now we have the proof. A CUB analysis released this morning shows that the Illinois Clean Jobs…...
Consumer collects $598.13 electric refund with CUB’s help
By Samantha Vercellino Doreen, of Country Club Hills, couldn’t figure out why her power bills were becoming unusually expensive. Not wanting to be left in the dark, she headed to a CUB speaking engagement in Richton Park for answers. At the event, she sat down with Community Service Liaison Aimee…...
Telecom, utility concerns on AG’s list of top consumer complaints
Telecommunications and utilities are both top concerns for Illinois residents, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s annual top 10 list of consumer complaints. In 2014, the Attorney General’s office fielded 2,162 telecommunications-related complaints from consumers (No. 3 on the list), and 566 utility-related complaints (No. 10). Attorney General Madigan’s…...
