A new ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) brings Illinois one step closer to funding a fossil fuel bailout. And that increases the urgency to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), sweeping legislation that would protect consumers’ power bills while moving the state toward 100 percent renewable…...
Consumer Alert: Could alt suppliers be knocking on your door again?
Breaking News Update, Nov. 5: Victory for Consumers! The Illinois Commerce Commission voted 3-2 today to keep the moratorium in place. Thank you to all the Illinoisans who used CUB’s Action Network to help send 1,000 messages to state regulators in favor of keeping the ban in place. Your activism makes…...
A CUB How-To: Downloading Your Bills
CUB often encourages consumers to sign up for online billing through their utility. It’s convenient and easy, and there are oftentimes perks or programs that are only available through an online account. But navigating a new online space can be confusing, so CUB staffer Cate put together a few videos…...
CUB alert: People struggling to pay utility bills should call their utilities to take advantage of landmark consumer protections
CUB urges Illinois consumers having difficulty paying their utility bills during the pandemic to contact their utility companies to take advantage of unprecedented consumer protections available to them. “Anybody struggling to pay their bills during the pandemic should immediately contact their utility to find out what protections are available, and…...
October gas prices up from last month, down from 2019
The winter heating season is upon us, but while natural gas prices are up from last month, many utilities are charging less than they did last October. Still, there’s bad news from one of the state’s biggest utilities: Crain’s Chicago Business reports that winter bills for Peoples Gas, which serves…...
What is environmental racism?
Environmental racism is a term that was first coined in 1982 by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Chavis Jr., a Black civil rights leader. It refers to environmental injustices that harm communities of color. Everyone deserves equal access to clean air, water and safe neighborhoods, but not everyone is given this guarantee.…...
New Power Prices for Ameren, ComEd Customers
As of October 1, ComEd and Ameren are updating their electricity supply prices to reflect non-summer pricing. According to the companies, these are the new Ameren and ComEd prices through May 2021: Ameren (for people living in Ameren’s geographic service territory) Usage of 0 to 800 kilowatt-hours (kWh): 4.542 cents per kWh*…...