By Samantha Vercellino Gift shopping can be stressful, especially when the holiday is right around the corner. But don’t fret; we’ve put together a list of our five favorite “green” gifts of 2015! Smart Crock-Pot: Unlike most slow cookers, the Smart Crock-Pot is Wi-Fi enabled which allows users to adjust its temperature…...
Victory in Springfield: Funding restored for excellent utility program
Good news out of Springfield this week: General Assembly leaders and the governor restored funding for the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)—an essential program that helps keep electric and gas bills affordable for roughly 50,000 low-income customers. After months of campaigning from consumer advocates, including CUB and more than 1,700 of you who…...
Breaking: Good news, bad news for Illinois consumers
After a busy day at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), ComEd customers received news that their rates are dropping by $66.5 million–but Ameren gas and electric customers got hit with a total of $150 million in rate hikes. Read CUB’s statements on the ComEd and Ameren decisions. In both cases…...
Illinoisans haven’t seen gas prices like this since…2001!
This isn’t a misprint: December’s natural gas prices are at their lowest point in nearly 15 years! Major Illinois utilities are charging consumers 26-48 percent less to heat their homes this December compared to last. Peoples Gas shows the biggest price drop of all, charging customers about 28 cents per…...
What are we paying for?
We already pay a bundle for Internet service, and now a big Internet Service Provider (ISPs) wants to slap you with yet another fee for exceeding so-called “data caps.” Comcast recently enacted a policy in certain test markets that charges fees for customers who use more than 300 GB per month ($10 per…...
CUB’s top 5 money-saving cases from 2015
Over the years, CUB has helped save consumers an astounding $20 billion—an accomplishment that would be impossible to meet without our consumer advocates. In 2015 alone, the consumer advocacy team generated $30,000 in savings for individual consumers who called us with a utility complaint, according to CUB records. That’s why…...
Despite monster profits, they still want YOU to pay more
The parent companies of Illinois’ major energy and telecom companies have made $12.5 billion in profits so far this year— so why exactly are so many Illinois utilities still asking for higher rates? Just check out these monster profits: Can you believe it? The parent companies are raking in the dough, but the utilities…...
8 ways to stay comfortably warm this winter
By Samantha Vercellino Polar vortex or not, winter is always cold—but staying warm and cozy shouldn’t break the bank. Follow CUB’s simple tips to live comfortably, and save, during the bitter cold. Heat efficiently. Your heating system, like any other machinery in your home, will eventually break down. That’s why…...