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CUB in your community: November 2019 events

CUB’s Outreach team is on track to smash their record for the highest number of events in a year — the team has hosted 522 events and worked with nearly 20,000 attendees so far in 2019! In doing so, Outreach has shown Illinois consumers how to save more than $11,000…...

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IL power bills lowest in the Midwest (again)–but that advantage is threatened

For the seventh consecutive year, Illinois had the lowest average electricity bills in the Midwest, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). But nobody thinks power bills are low—there’s more work to do. That’s why CUB and other consumer/environmental advocates are pushing Illinois to pass the Clean Energy Jobs…...

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Consumer, environmental advocates flood Springfield to support Clean Energy Jobs Act

By Hannah Finnerty, CUB communications coordinator It was still dark outside when 500 bleary-eyed consumer and environmental advocates from across the state packed onto buses and headed to Springfield. Hoping to meet with their legislators at the state capitol, they planned to urge their senators and representatives to pass the…...

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CUB helps consumer secure $203 refund from alternative supplier rip-off

CUB’s Ivonne Rychwa helped a visitor to one of our popular utility bill clinics secure a $203 refund after being overcharged by an alternative supplier. Ivonne, CUB’s Lead Community Liaison, met Teofilo at the Round Lake Utility Bill Clinic on Aug. 19 and discovered that he was in the kind…...

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This week’s e-newsletter: 5 questions you should ask about your high gas/electric bills

“Why is my bill so high?” Danielle Holmes, Consumer Rights Specialist, gets that question a lot. Over the past 9 years she has counseled thousands of utility customers a year. Taking a hard look at your utility bills is probably not your favorite pastime—but Danielle has found that you can…...

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CUB: Clean Energy Jobs Act would “protect our pocketbooks and the planet”

Saying Illinois urgently needs the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) “to protect our pocketbooks and the planet,” CUB Executive Director David Kolata testified before a Chicago City Council committee today in support of a resolution endorsing the legislation now before the General Assembly in Springfield.   The Committee on Environmental Protection…...

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Nicor hike cut by 27%–but still too high for CUB

CUB helped reduce Nicor Gas’ record-high rate-hike request by more than $62 million, but the watchdog’s work isn’t over: It will challenge the state regulatory ruling to try to save consumers more money. On Oct. 2, just as the winter heating season began, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) granted Nicor…...

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Make sure to order CUB’s free, money-saving guides (in honor of our 35th anniversary)

As part of CUB’s 35th anniversary celebration, we have spent 2019  producing a series of free, money-saving guides. If you haven’t already, please order these publications. We will immediately email you a free, printer-friendly copy. CUB’s Guide to Cutting Your TV Costs 10 Ways To Cut Smartphone Data Waste CUB’s Guide to Fighting Robocalls CUB’s Gas…...

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Win for consumers and energy innovation: IL launches dynamic-pricing pilots

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB) praised Illinois regulators for two major rulings this fall that launch innovative dynamic-pricing pilot projects for customers of the state’s biggest electric utility. The projects place Illinois among the leading states for developing clean energy tools that empower customers…...

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Five things to remember about your bills

In our first-ever “virtual utility bill clinic,” CUB members from 64 different cities across Illinois submitted their utility bills to get CUB’s unique utility-bill checkup service from the comfort of their own homes. CUB holds 400-500 events a year, but the virtual clinic was an attempt to reach people who…...

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