You may be surprised to learn that the biggest electricity guzzler in your house isn’t your TV or refrigerator. That special honor goes to… your clothes dryer. Dryers use between 1,800 to 5,000 watts per cycle, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Compare that to washers, which only use…...
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…...
5 surprising things you should know about the June rate hike
As of June 1, ComEd’s electricity rate shot up 38 percent, to about 7.596 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). And the prices offered by unregulated power suppliers competing against ComEd are going up too. To paraphrase Dorothy: “Toto, I don’t think we’re in the same electricity market anymore.” Whether you’re with…...
ComEd and Ameren summer rates
Summer is around the corner and temperatures are finally on the rise. But before you start cranking that AC, check out the new summer rates from your regulated electricity supplier. ComEd announced several weeks ago that its rate will jump from 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 7.596 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) starting…...
Five big red flags in Illinois’ electric market
CUB today is releasing a report that shows how Illinois’ electricity market has become more confusing, more expensive, and more treacherous in just the last 12 months. And the watchdog is concerned that consumers who are seeing headlines about summer rate hikes will get scared into bad deals. “Right now,…...
Breaking: ComEd power price to increase 38% June 1
ComEd’s residential energy rate is set to rise 38 percent from 5.52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 7.596 cents per kWh on June 1. (See ways you can soften the rate hike below.) Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the average household bill will increase about 20 percent, to $82 per month because of…...
Report: ComEd parent says no to Illinois nuke bailout
According to a published report, ComEd-parent Exelon says it will NOT seek a state bailout of its nuclear power plants. (CUB Executive Director David Kolata had earlier described a full-fledged bailout as “radioactive” for consumer pocketbooks.) But the news is tinged with uncertainty, since consumer advocates wonder if the door…...
