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Scott overwhelmed by support from CUB members, staff

Scott Allen, CUB’s environmental outreach coordinator in Hillsboro, knew he had a tough road to recovery after a harrowing collision with a semi-truck. But the avid runner has put in the time at physical therapy, for a quicker return to the trails—and work. “The doctors told me that it would…...

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Does Illinois support cable reforms?

Answer our quick poll and next week we’ll share the results with Illinois’ Congressional delegation. Do you want Congress to pass a “Pay TV Customer’s Bill of Rights,” including the following reforms:     Requiring Pay TV companies to offer a basic, low-cost package. Reducing or eliminating excessive charges, such as cable…...

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Speak up: Fight Ameren’s attack on energy efficiency

This week, CUB sent out a special e-newsletter to alert you to a new threat to energy efficiency that has the potential to raise Illinois power bills. What happened? Just months ago Illinois passed the Future Energy Jobs Act that requires the state’s biggest utilities to reduce electricity waste more…...

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Tell us your landline story

How do people feel about losing their landline phone service? “They’re terrified,” Julie Vahling, AARP Illinois associate state director, said in a recent TV interview. We want to hear how YOU feel. AT&T has won state legislation to eventually end landline phone service in Illinois—but it still needs to get…...

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Are you cooling an empty home? There’s a solution

Amid the hottest month of the year, consumer advocates joined with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to make Chicago-area consumers aware that cooling an empty home while they are away at work or on vacation can cause summer energy bills to soar at a news conference…...

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New state report: $340 million in consumer losses with alternative suppliers

More than 1 in 5 Northern Illinois electric customers are signed up to get their electric supply from a company other than Commonwealth Edison, and many are paying more than they need to. A recent report shows that over the last year households using alternative suppliers paid a total of…...

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Net Neutrality update: Record number of comments

In response to a planned overhaul of net neutrality rules, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received a record breaking number of comments, a few thousand of which have come from CUB supporters. Roughly 2 million comments were filed in one day last week, when thousands of activists, individuals and…...

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State Capitol Update: LIHEAP and solar funds saved!

  CUB wants to thank those of you who took action to protect two excellent state programs: Illinois Solar for All and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). A few weeks ago, funding for those programs was in danger of being “swept”—or used for different purposes in the…...

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Quick poll: Robocall update

ROBOCALLS UPDATE: Major developments since April, when we sent federal regulators 2,900 petition signatures urging them to fight “spoofed” robocalls. (Robocalls that alter Caller ID to get you to pick up.) This summer, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed its highest fine ever ($120 million) against a robocall scheme. Get this:…...

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Are you getting these robocalls?

Have you had this robocall nuisance hit your phone? Just last week, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight “ringless voicemails”—robocalls that go straight to your voicemail box. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said: “We’ll take a look.” “With billions of robocalls made to…...

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