As of October, ComEd and Ameren Illinois are charging new electricity supply rates, and customers should know what they are to avoid bad deals peddled by alternative electricity suppliers, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Thursday in a statewide consumer warning. The non-summer prices, through May 2024, are listed on…...
ICC orders $1 million fine against alternative energy supplier
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has fined alternative electricity supplier LifeEnergy, LLC, $1 million and ordered more than $34,000 in customer refunds for “admitted violations of state marketing and sales rules.” “This is a major victory for Illinois consumers, who have been ripped off by alternative energy suppliers far too…...
Breaking: Electricity rip-offs more likely this summer
96-year-old Elizabeth Davis gets ripped off every time she turns on the lights. She and other customers of alternative electric suppliers have overpaid by $600 million in recent years, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. That’s why I want to share this important news: State legislators just passed some of…...
The HEAT Act: One of the nation’s toughest consumer protection laws against gas and electric rip-offs
In a victory for consumers, the Illinois General Assembly has unanimously passed and the governor has signed one of the nation’s toughest consumer-protection laws to fight rip-offs peddled by alternative electric and gas suppliers. At the end of May, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed the Home Energy Affordability and…...
From the CUB files: The case of the “mixed meter,” and a $495 refund
Each year, thousands of Illinoisans call CUB with complaints or inquiries about their utility companies—that includes Charlene. The 75-year-old condo resident didn’t know why her electric bill had skyrocketed. She cares about efficiency—turns off lights, unplugs unused appliances, sets the thermostat no higher than 68 degrees, and avoids energy guzzlers…...
The day in the life of a CUB outreach staffer…
By Annabelle Roser As solar energy becomes more accessible to everyday consumers, the financial incentives of owning solar panels can be hard to pass up. The benefits of subsidizing or eliminating your energy bills through net-metering can be especially enticing to retirees or those on fixed incomes. Recently, I met…...
Retiree saves hundreds, thanks to CUB Voice, Consumer Hotline
After reading CUB’s quarterly publication The CUB Voice, Stillman Valley resident Terry Temple realized he was paying way too much for his electric and gas service, and he did something about it. The retired marketing director for GE Aviation Systems came upon a full-page article headlined “Paying too much for…...
CUB’s proposal to videotape electric pitches featured on ABC 7
Check out this story by a member of ABC 7’s I-Team, Jason Knowles, on CUB’s proposal to videotape door-to-door pitches by alternative energy suppliers. (The sales people would videotape themselves making the pitch, but the customers would not be filmed.) We’re fighting the good fight! https://ow.ly/4mRBP9...
Fight misleading marketing: Send a message to the ICC
Here’s a good example of how current Illinois law breeds misleading electric and gas marketing: One logo is for Illinois’ biggest regulated gas utility. The other is for an alternative supplier that has sparked hundreds of complaints/questions over the years—many from confused people who were stuck with high bills. A lot…...
CUB helps Roselle consumer get $500+ refund
Thanks to CUB’s help, retiree Helen Conrades had a little celebration on St. Patrick’s Day—light beer over ice—and some kind words for the consumer group. “Love, love, love you,” said the Roselle woman, who was celebrating a $539 refund check she had just received from an alternative gas supplier. “My…...
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