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Ameren

Ameren customers, this could cost you $300 million!

Illinois coal plant owner Dynegy wants Ameren to join an East Coast power grid that could increase YOUR electricity rates—by $300 million. We blogged about this worrisome proposal last week, and now we want to hear what you have to say. In case you missed it, here’s some background on the situation: Dynegy…...

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Illinois’ most hated bill: Cable gets the nod!

The results are in from our survey on Illinois’ most hated bill. It’s cable, but judging by the survey results there’s plenty of bill-hate to go around. 1) Cable: 627 votes, 35.8 percent 2) Natural Gas: 461 votes, 26.4 percent 3) Electric: 296 votes, 16.9 percent 4) Phone: 240 votes,…...

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Polar vortex price spike? Read all about it!

At about the same time the “polar vortex” slammed Illinois with record cold this month—it also generated some heat from consumers who complained to CUB about an unheard of spike in electricity prices. That’s right, electricity prices. About eight out of 10 Illinois homes heat with natural gas—so what business…...

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Tell the ICC: Protect the Ameren rate cut!

It’s not often you get good news about your electric bill, but Ameren customers were happy to hear that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) ordered a $45 million electric rate cut, which went into effect on Jan. 1. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for Ameren to file a “petition for…...

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Q&A on ComEd and Ameren rate hikes

What happened? On Wednesday, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted to give ComEd a $340 million electric rate hike. It also voted to give Ameren a $32 million natural gas increase. How much are rates going up? ComEd said the average household bill will see an increase of about $5.50…...

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5 things you should know about Ameren’s $45 million electric rate cut

Good news just in time for the holidays! The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has ordered a $45 million rate cut for Ameren electricity customers. Key points about the decrease: When it takes effect: Jan. 1, 2014. What’s behind the change: It’s part of Ameren’s new “formula rate.” Back in 2011, the…...

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Energy report: What’s your gas utility charging?

As we approach the heart of the winter heating season, here’s a summary of what Illinois’ major utilities are charging for natural gas right now, compared with last November: Ameren Zone 1 (Formerly AmerenCIPS): 53.482 cents per therm (November 2012: 64.76 cents per therm) Ameren Zone 2 (Formerly AmerenCILCO): 53.673 cents…...

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Raking in profits, gunning for higher rates

Ameren and ComEd both turned in strong third quarter profits, which begs the question: Why do these companies need bloated rate hikes?  CUB today launched an email campaign to  oppose increases pushed by Ameren and ComEd. Ameren is proposing a natural gas rate hike of about $50 million, which the…...

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Exposed: Lies about your gas bill!

Over 30 years of consumer advocacy, CUB has heard a lot of misinformation about utility service–yep, some real doozies! As winter approaches, here’s our list of the top 5 myths about your gas bill. Myth No. 1: There’s nothing you can do to cut your energy bills. CUB’s free online tool,…...

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Good news for Ameren natural gas customers?

Ameren is predicting its customers will see lower natural gas prices this winter—but that doesn’t guarantee they’ll see lower bills. The utility says it expects prices to hover between 53 and 55 cents per therm, down about 5 percent from the prices customers paid last winter. But Ameren cautioned that lower prices don’t guarantee…...

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