By: David Kolata and Andrew Barbeau Knowledge is power – especially when it comes to electricity. And as Illinois’ biggest electric utility installs 4 million new digital, advanced meters across the state, people are on the brink of obtaining the intelligence they need to maximize the benefits of this smart…...
Fight unfair utility legal fees
A CUB review of recent rate-hike cases found that Illinois utilities have slapped their customers with more than $40 million in legal fees, meaning the hard-earned cash consumers burn on their utility bills actually bankrolls corporate legal teams battling to increase those same bills. But CUB is pushing new legislation…...
He won six months of free power!
By: Laura Goldberg This past year, the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Office of Sustainability, in partnership with CUB, challenged students, faculty, and staff to compete against one another in a year-long energy savings competition. Interested UIC participants were prompted to sign up for CUB Energy Saver, our free online energy efficiency…...
Consumer to CUB: You saved my butt!
I received this report from a CUB member about an encounter he had with an alternative supplier–a company we haven’t heard of in the market. The consumer thanks everyone at CUB for “saving my butt.” Last Wednesday night (March 9th), shortly after dinner, my doorbell rang. Very unusual for my doorbell…...
Be green, support CUB: Get an “I LOVE CUB” reusable shopping tote
Contribute $25 to help CUB fight $6 billion in rate hikes and we’ll send you a heavy-duty, reusable “I LOVE CUB” shopping tote. Please, renew your CUB membership now! CUB has just compiled the 2015 profits for the parent companies of Illinois’ big energy, telecom and cable companies. Take a look…...
For a cheaper, cleaner power grid: CUB, EDF greenhouse gas metric to measure smart grid benefits
A first-of-its-kind metric proposed by CUB and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions due to groundbreaking smart grid improvements. The metric was developed in concert with ComEd, which became the first utility in the country to adopt this greenhouse gas measurement tool. Calculating the environmental benefits of clean…...
CUB helps Roselle consumer get $500+ refund
Thanks to CUB’s help, retiree Helen Conrades had a little celebration on St. Patrick’s Day—light beer over ice—and some kind words for the consumer group. “Love, love, love you,” said the Roselle woman, who was celebrating a $539 refund check she had just received from an alternative gas supplier. “My…...
The alternative supplier said what????
A former CUB co-worker relayed this bizarre, fraudulent phone pitch he received from an alternative supplier–we’ll call the company “ACME IL Electricity.” This is a good example of the kinds of reports we get every week from Illinois consumers. My notes are in red. Alternative Supplier: “I’m calling from (ACME IL…...
