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Energy-efficient holiday buying guide

By Samantha Vercellino If Black Friday was a bust (which it was for me), you’re still racking your brain for what to get your family and friends. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of our top five energy-efficient stocking stuffers. Powerless stereo speakers. iPhone enthusiasts can amplify their holiday music…...

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News that hits us like a big lump of coal: Gas prices up by as much as 30% this December

By Samantha Vercellino As cold grips the Midwest in the opening days of December, we’re forced to welcome natural gas prices that are up to 30 percent higher. Major Illinois utilities are charging consumers 13-30 percent more to heat their homes this December compared to last. Peoples Gas showed the…...

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Our most inspiring stories of 2014

Happy Giving Tuesday– the International Day dedicated to giving back!  In honor of this special day and momentous year, we’re giving away a free usable tote bag for donations of $10 or more.  Give now and tell your friends! As we finish celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2014, CUB is looking…...

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Ameren, ComEd Steamrolling Auto Rate Hikes in Springfield

Right now, a bill sailing through the General Assembly would lock in yearly, automatic electric rate hikes for two more years–through 2019. And CUB says: Not so fast! The increases, made possible by the General Assembly’s “smart grid law” in 2011, are to pay for new digital electric meters and…...

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#GivingTuesday

Right now, you’re probably busy preparing for the big Thanksgiving meal, not to mention the craziest shopping day of the year. During these hectic times, CUB staff is working around the clock to block rate hikes and secure refunds for Illinois consumers.  We’re going up against a lot in 2015…...

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Energy saving tips to eat up this Thanksgiving

By Samantha Vercellino Thanksgiving is fast approaching and many Americans are gearing up to cook a traditional holiday feast that will leave family and friends in a food coma. But gathering around the table can be a pricey affair, especially when total U.S. spending on Thanksgiving dinner is $2.4 billion. So, before heading…...

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Don’t cut that cord yet: Why we still need landlines

The Illinois Telecommunications Act—important legislation that protects your rights and keeps telephone rates low—is up for review in 2015.  We are gearing up for a big legislative battle as we expect companies like AT&T and Frontier to attempt to completely deregulate local phone service. If Big Telecom has its way, companies would be free from the…...

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Deceptive Billing: 3 Tips to Protect Yourself

Imagine you’ve just signed up for Broadband Internet Service for $34.99 per month.  You’re pretty content with the deal, and soon spend your days in a quiet reverie of Pinterest, Netflix documentaries, and cat videos… …until you get your first month’s bill: $94.95! That’s what happened to Jeremy Zielinski of New York…...

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A less expensive winter?

By Samantha Vercellino The weather may be bitter cold now, but experts are predicting milder overall temperatures this winter, bringing Midwesterners out of their temporary hibernation, and hopefully, giving us a break on our bills. How big a break? Chicago utility Peoples Gas, which charged the highest gas rates in the state…...

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Thank you!

With the Holidays around the corner, we wanted to take the time to reach out to you–loyal CUB supporters– and say thank you. At CUB, we’re always in the trenches—battling utility greed and unnecessary rate hikes. Whether you’ve signed a petition, completed a survey, participated in a contest, used free tools (like…...

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