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Tips for an energy-efficient kitchen

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, it’s tempting to turn the oven on, throw in a casserole, and warm the kettle for some evening tea.  But all that kitchen work can crank up your electricity usage. Follow these tips to cook up a storm–without burning up the bills: Buy only Energy…...

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AG, CUB announce $46 million in refunds for ComEd customers

Good news today, for ComEd customers! Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office and CUB have secured $46.2 million in refunds for consumers, after ComEd agreed to a settlement. The refund is connected to legal disputes that go as far back as a ComEd rate-hike request in 2007. The refunds will…...

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Good news! IL consumer savings up to $20 billion!

For years, CUB has claimed that it helped save consumers more than $10 billion by blocking rate hikes and securing refunds. Well, we were wrong. The more accurate figure is $20 billion. To commemorate CUB’s 30th anniversary, the watchdog updated the savings numbers and found, in fact, that the total…...

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Dolton’s high electricity rates, and 3 questions you should ask about your own town’s power deal

Dolton residents have been paying the highest electric rates in Illinois the last few months, thanks to the community’s “municipal aggregation” deal. Aggregation–when local leaders negotiate power prices with alternative suppliers on behalf of a community’s residents–was once a sure bet. Some communities secured a price that was nearly 50…...

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Check out Illinoisans showing off their #CUBLove

We’ve gotten some outstanding entries so far in our “I Love CUB” 30th Anniversary Photo Contest.  Check these out: There’s still time for you to show off what makes your hometown special.  Is it Memorial Stadium in Champaign?  The Bean in Chicago?  The…giant statue of Popeye in Chester?  We want to see it–…...

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Leading the nation: CUB, EDF push for a smarter, cleaner power grid in Illinois

Part of CUB’s watchdog role is making sure Illinois’ two biggest utilities do the “smart grid” right. That’s why CUB and the Environmental Defense Fund have just made a major proposal before state regulators to make sure $3 billion in historic upgrades to the power grid work for consumers. CUB…...

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Avoid these scams!

Every day, it seems like we hear about new scams preying on innocent consumers.  Here are 3 of the nastiest you need to avoid: 1.) Tech support Scam: A representative calls claiming to be from Apple or Microsoft tech support.  They tell you that your computer has been infected with a virus…...

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The Battle for the Internet

Hate this symbol? We do, too.  But if Big Cable has its way, you’ll be seeing a lot more of it. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T are already famous for bad customer service and exorbitant prices.  Now they want to take on the their last competitor–the free…...

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Keep those annoying telemarketers in line!

Ever been bothered by obnoxious telemarketing calls?  (I don’t know how it happens, but it seems like telemarketers have a sixth sense for knowing when you’ve sat down for family dinner!) Now’s your chance to act: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in 1995 to prevent abusive telemarketing…...

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Say cheese! Enter CUB’s photo contest and you could win $300

Are you proud of your community? Show it off for CUB’s 30th Anniversary Photo Contest! Take a photo of yourself (or a loved one) incorporating some aspect of your community—a town sign, landmark, natural wonder, roadside attraction, etc. Email your photo to [email protected] or mail to 309 W. Washington St.,…...

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