Multiple developments in 2026—concerning proposals for rate hikes and water industry consolidation—could make conditions for long-suffering Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois customers even worse, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Tuesday, urging consumers to join the fight to slash private water rate hikes. (Read a pdf of CUB’s news…...
Sweaters, sunshine and bubblewrap: Your best winter energy efficiency tips
Consumers are a great source of information for CUB, and you proved it again this past Energy Awareness Month. We asked for your best winter efficiency tips, and you sent us more than 100 tips! We randomly picked one lucky tipster to win an 8-pack of super-efficient, 60-watt-equivalent LED lightbulbs.…...
ComEd customers could be on hook for billions in data center-related costs, according to consumer advocates’ review of utility’s records
As the public backlash against data centers escalates across Illinois, newly disclosed records reveal that fees the controversial facilities paid to Commonwealth Edison over the last five years fell billions of dollars short of the total price tag expected to connect them to the electric grid. Public-interest groups warned Thursday…...
Data centers and your electric bills
Power bills are going up across the country, and the surge in data center development is a big reason. These facilities, which house computer systems used for storing, processing, and distributing digital information, use a tremendous amount of electricity–the largest data centers can consume as much energy as a mid-sized…...
Advocates urge state regulators to lower Proposed Order’s recommended $66 million rate hike for Peoples Gas
A recommendation pending before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) would give Peoples Gas the license to impose a $66.2 million rate hike this winter on the utility’s beleaguered customers, but the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and other advocates Wednesday urged state regulators to carve deeper into the increase. The ICC…...
CUB tips: How to complain to your utility
We hear a lot of stories from exasperated consumers who have contacted their utilities with a complaint or question, only to spend hours on the phone trying to communicate with customer service representatives. CUB recommends these steps to making your call as effective as possible. 1. Be prepared. Before you…...
