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Consumer advocates, Rep. Du Buclet issue warning against alternative electric/gas supplier rip-offs, make urgent call for legislative reforms

As financial losses mount for Illinois consumers with alternative electric and gas suppliers, the watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has joined with other consumer advocates and state Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet to advocate for the No More Utility Bill Rip-Offs Customer Protection Act (House Bill 4313), a series of reforms…...

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CUB’s report on gas market volatility: March 2026

Continuing a trend of elevated heating gas prices, March supply rates for six out of 9 major Illinois utilities were higher than a year ago, including Consumers Gas (86 percent), Mt. Carmel (60 percent) and Nicor Gas (29 percent).   Roughly eight out of 10 Illinois homes use methane gas for…...

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Spring is in the air: CUB’s money-saving events in March

CUB’s Outreach team travels across the state to staff free events, giving consumers energy efficiency tips for their home, educating them on how clean energy can cut their utility bills and helping people protect themselves from scams and rip-offs.  As the winter snow begins to thaw, people are starting to…...

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Consumer alert: Illinois utility bills cover millions in hidden expenses that advance the utilities’ agendas, but have zero consumer benefit

Many Illinois consumers have no idea that their electric, gas and water bills cover tens of millions of dollars in self-serving utility expenses that have zero consumer benefit, but advance the agendas of Illinois utilities and increase their political power, consumer advocates warned Wednesday, while delivering thousands of petitions to…...

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CUB Board member tells his electrification story

“I feel that if my wife and I can do this, it’s within reach of a lot of people…” — Gary Freymiller CUB Board Member Gary Freymiller hopes his experience electrifying his home can help others choose the best path to cleaner, more efficient heating and cooling. “I feel that if…...

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Making data centers pay their fair share

A data center is a facility that houses computer systems used for storing, processing and distributing digital information. They use a tremendous amount of electricity–the largest facilities can consume as much energy as 100,000 households a year (a mid-sized city)! Across the United States, data center electricity use has more than doubled…...

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CUB Q&A: community solar billing

CUB regularly receives questions about community solar billing, so we put together this Q&A. What is Community Solar? Community solar is a program for people who can’t put solar on their own homes. It allows consumers to save money on their electric bills from energy produced by large, offsite community…...

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CUB Capitol Report: Our 2026 Legislative Agenda Aims to Fight Rip-offs, Rein in High Private Water Bills, Eliminate Ridiculous Utility Charges, Make AT&T Pay Up

By Bryan McDanielCUB Director of Governmental Affairs Springfield’s November Veto Session was busy with the passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act. CUB supported the bill as a response to rapidly rising power prices–but there is more work to do, as data centers continue to place a…...

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CUB’s money-saving events in February

The Citizens Utility Board’s Outreach team travels across the state to staff free events, giving consumers energy efficiency tips for their home, educating them on how clean energy can cut their utility bills and helping people protect themselves from scams and rip-offs.  Amid the winter-heating season, CUB can share tips…...

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CUB’s report on gas market volatility: February 2026

February gas prices showed worrisome signs that winter storms and frigid temperatures across the nation were beginning to have an impact on the price we pay for heating fuel: Supply rates for several utilities jumped by more than 25 percent from a year ago, topped by Nicor Gas, with a…...

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