What happened? On Sept. 7, the credit reporting agency Equifax announced that hackers had broken into its computer network, exposing the personal information of up to 143 million U.S. consumers — nearly half the country. At first Equifax reported that the hack happened between May 13 and July 29. But…...
“Peaking” your interest? Consumers question why they haven’t received peak-time alerts this summer
Here’s the text that CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna received the day after she earned $7.50 in bill credits for participating in the Peak Time Savings program. (Good job, Julie!) Peak Time Savings (ComEd) and Peak Time Rewards (Ameren Illinois) are two no-cost, money-saving programs that CUB has encouraged people,…...
CUB statement on new consumer protections for IL electric customers
Statement: Although we disagree with efforts by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to weaken certain consumer protections, the new rules are a step in the right direction to protect Illinois consumers from misleading marketing by alternative power suppliers. You can’t have a healthy electricity market without strong consumer…...
What companies have the highest power prices in Illinois?
Ivonne Ortiz, CUB’s Environmental Outreach Coordinator, researches the prices offered by Illinois’ alternative electricity suppliers each week, and she has some significant updates for you: Supplier sued. State Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against Sperian Energy, seeking to bar the supplier from the Illinois market. The attorney general’s lawsuit…...
Urge Congress: Don’t kill net neutrality!
As the fight to protect your Internet rights rages before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee is preparing to hold a hearing on “ground rules for the Internet,” which could lead to anti-net neutrality laws backed by big Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like…...
Is home phone service really getting better?
In its push to eventually end landlines in Illinois, AT&T has promised that home phone service isn’t going away, it’s getting better. There are plenty of Illinois consumers who, along with CUB, dispute that. CUB did an analysis of AT&T’s phone options: Landlines: Pros: Landlines are reliable and, at around $20 or…...
Protect solar power—Oppose a tariff
We want to alert you about an important issue that could have a devastating impact on our efforts to fight for a more reliable and affordable power grid. Here’s a quick summary: A case before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)—a federal agency that provides trade expertise to the White…...
