Several major Illinois utilities are increasing their natural gas prices by about 40 percent to 69 percent on April 1, a lingering effect of February’s volatile winter weather that crippled the nation’s gas supply and caused massive blackouts in Texas. Last month, dangerously low temperatures and up to a foot of snow prompted Illinois Gov.…...
CUB urges Illinois consumers to contact their utilities to access consumer protections
The Citizens Utility Board is urging Illinois consumers to contact their utility companies immediately to take advantage of consumer protections available to them due to the pandemic. A state moratorium on shutoffs expires on April 1, so it is vital that people who are struggling to afford their bills get in…...
CUB helps secure $226 refund to overcharged Comcast customer
When Robert, a long-time CUB member from Evanston, attended a Virtual Utility Bill Clinic earlier this year, he was most interested in learning about Community Solar. He also came to learn that he had paid $226 to Comcast for cable boxes and adapters that he didn’t have. Aimee Gendusa-English, CUB’s…...
Private water utilities raise consumer bills by $220 million to pay for acquisitions
Over the past eight years, private water utilities Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois have been buying up aging water and wastewater systems across the state. As of February 2021, these for-profit companies have purchased more than thirty local water and wastewater systems since 2013 and have recovered the acquisition…...
Solstice: CUB’s evaluation of Solstice’s community solar offer
Solstice offers both market rate and income-eligible community solar deals. If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading CUB’s Introduction to Community Solar first. Learn more about Solar for All. How will signing up for the Solstice community solar offer affect my electric bill? Solstice will look…...
Consumer Coalition launches campaign to eliminate gas utility surcharge
A coalition of consumer, environmental, and community advocates along with legislative champions have announced legislation to end a gas utility surcharge contributing to higher heating bills across the state. (Take action against this surcharge!) The coalition, which includes CUB, pointed to numerous examples of rapidly rising bills from one end…...
CUB’s upcoming virtual events in March
We are continuing to host our events virtually to keep you safe and up-to-date on important information about your utility bills and new legislation. If you want to learn more about consumer protections, ways to save money on your utility bills, understanding solar programs and more, check out our upcoming…...
Tell Washington: Protect Our Utility Bills!
Natural gas prices are up this month (WAY up for some customers). If last month’s extreme weather and the Texas disaster have taught us anything, it’s that all states should make sure they are well-prepared to protect energy customers. Send a message and help spark action in Washington! In mid-February,…...
