In Utility Diaries, we look at what different households across Illinois pay in a month for utility expenses. Today’s household consists of two people in a rented house in Urbana. Housing Background Location: Urbana, IL Household Size: 2 people Housing Type: House Rent or Own: Rent Square Footage: 1,215 Year…...
CUB urges Illinois consumers to contact their utilities to access consumer protections
The Citizens Utility Board is urging Illinois consumers to contact their utility companies immediately to take advantage of consumer protections available to them due to the pandemic. A state moratorium on shutoffs expires on April 1, so it is vital that people who are struggling to afford their bills get in…...
Beware High Bills! A Halloween Special
Although Halloween classics like Count Dracula, Freddie Krueger and Michael Meyers cause a fright, few things are scarier than paying high energy bills. In honor of the spooky season, CUB staffer Cate York created a new video, “Beware High Bills: A Halloween Special.” It’s a fun, quick summary of the…...
A CUB How-To: Downloading Your Bills
CUB often encourages consumers to sign up for online billing through their utility. It’s convenient and easy, and there are oftentimes perks or programs that are only available through an online account. But navigating a new online space can be confusing, so CUB staffer Cate put together a few videos…...
CUB services helping consumers cut their utility bills $26/month
CUB services have saved participants an average of about $26 a month on their utility bills, according to a staff review. COVID-19 may have brought CUB’s in-person events to a halt, but that hasn’t stopped CUB’s outreach team from working hard to serve consumers through online events and services. Along…...
Help the environment and cut your costs with ComEd’s Time-of-Day pricing program
With the introduction of smart meters across Illinois, consumers have more options when it comes to how they use and pay for electricity. ComEd’s new Time-of-Day Pricing Program—which charges different electric rates during different periods of the day—is one such option. So how does the Time-of-Day program work? Most customers…...
CUB-Northwestern partnership yields new outreach materials
A class of Northwestern undergraduate students worked with CUB over the spring semester to fill gaps in the utility watchdog’s outreach efforts. Although COVID-19 and Illinois’ stay-at-home order caused the student teams to rethink aspects of their projects, CUB now has new and improved outreach materials, as well as new…...
