Natural gas bills are at their highest level in years, and the two major reasons are: overly aggressive spending by gas utilities and skyrocketing supply prices. Read our Q&A to get the details. How expensive has this been for consumers? People in Illinois who heat their homes with natural…...
Solar group buy program helps 76 properties go solar ($71,000 in potential first-year savings)
A special program that CUB works on ended 2022 with 76 properties contracted to install solar panels in the coming months–a potential total savings of more than $71,000 for participants in the first year alone. After a year of elevated global energy costs, these Chicago-area residents are moving toward renewable…...
Special Report: Municipal aggregation protecting customers from high prices–but what happens when the contracts end?
About 8 out of 10 electricity deals negotiated by communities across Illinois are saving residents money at a time of spiking energy prices. But dozens of those contracts, most in the central and southern parts of the state, are ending in December or January, exposing customers to higher power prices–for…...
Goodbye formula rates: CUB helps cut Ameren’s final “formula” hike by millions
In the final ruling under an anti-consumer “formula” rate-setting system, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) granted Ameren Illinois a $61 million electric delivery rate hike, after CUB and other consumer advocates helped knock about $22 million off the proposed increase. “While we’re glad Ameren didn’t get the $83 million rate…...
Get ready for 2023 with CUB’s money-saving events in December
This is a roundup of free events taking place throughout the rest of 2022. This year, CUB’s outreach team staffed over 350 events across the state. As consumer advocates, we’ll never give up—and that’s why we’ll continue putting on events dedicated to saving you money and keeping you up-to-date on…...
ComEd gets $199 million increase in final formula-rate case
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has granted ComEd a $198.9 million rate hike, the third-highest and last increase under the company’s anti-consumer formula rate system that was at the heart of its corruption scandal. “This is a parting shot from a system that was a bad deal for customers from…...
Sunshine & poses: Skokie resident’s solar snapshot wins CUB’s Clean Energy Scavenger Hunt
Congratulations to Robert of Skokie for winning CUB’s Clean Energy Scavenger Hunt! We asked for clean energy-themed photos, and his picture was randomly selected out of all the submissions to win $100. Check out his winning photo, featuring his brother in front of a school outfitted with solar panels in…...