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Peoples Gas

How the Wisconsin Energy-Integrys deal benefits Chicago customers: (crickets)

The headline in Crain’s Chicago Business says it all: What’s the sale of Integrys do for Chicago? Not much Yesterday, Wisconsin Energy announced that it was buying Integrys, the parent company of Chicago-area utilities Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, in a $9.1 billion deal. But for a company pulling…...

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Big deal! Peoples/North Shore parent to be gobbled up for $9 billion

Wisconsin Energy Corp announced this morning that it plans to purchase Integrys Energy Group, Inc.– parent company to Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas– for $9.1 billion.  The combined company will serve 4.3 million electric and gas customers across Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. The deal is set to close in…...

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Kick-start your summer with energy efficiency

Summer has (finally!) arrived and we can’t wait to hit the beach, visit the water park, take some road trips, and barbecue with friends and family! Need a little extra cash to make the most out of your summer?  CUB has compiled a list of energy efficiency incentives that will put some…...

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Natural gas rates: What will you pay in May?

It’s a sad state of affairs when Chicago’s gas rates are down–but still at their highest May price this decade. It doesn’t appear that utilities have posted final May prices on their websites, so CUB scanned tariff filings on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) website to come up with some…...

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Get the facts on natural gas prices

Jaws dropped as gas prices skyrocketed in the early months of 2014–as much as 150 percent for Peoples Gas customers. CUB is here to answer your collective “huh?” Our Facts on Natural Gas Prices  explains the forces behind gas prices, and the steps consumers can take to save money during these…...

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You’ll need an aspirin for these headaches

At CUB, we couldn’t do the work we do—saving individual  consumers hundreds of dollars on their utility bills, advocating for consumer protections in Springfield, and fighting rate-hike hungry energy companies—without support and input from our members.  That’s why we sent a survey out last November asking you  to rate your…...

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Would the real regulated gas company please stand up?

Annette Evans, consumer rights associate at CUB, recently received a call from a consumer whose gas bill had mysteriously skyrocketed to nearly $600.  After some sleuthing, Annette discovered the culprit: without her knowledge, the consumer had been signed up with Nicor Advanced Energy— an unregulated sister company of the utility…...

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Rip-off response

Earlier this week, we issued tips to protect yourself from bad deals in the natural gas market.  More than 1,800 of you responded to our accompanying survey, and about 56 percent of you said you had encountered a pitch from an alternative gas supplier. Here were some of your experiences: “The person…...

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Put up your dukes: Time to take on rate hikes

In 2014, CUB is fighting more than half-a-billion dollars in rate-hike battles from ComEd, Ameren, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas (see the chart below). In response, we’ve established an emergency Consumer Defense Fund and we have a challenge for you:  Help us raise $50,000 by April 30th to cover…...

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March gas rates skyrocket

Illinois natural gas users all woke up to a more expensive reality over the weekend. March gas rates for the utilities shot up, prompting CUB to call for the increases to be investigated.   Peoples Gas customers will see their rates climb to a whopping 93 cents per therm.  North Shore…...

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