A new season means new electric rates. That’s why we’ve updated our free calculator to reflect fall electric prices coming to Illinois. The CUB Power Calculator—a tool that shows how your utility’s supply rates stack up against an alternative supplier’s plan— can now provide a price comparison through May 2016.…...
Higher electric bills again?
Here we go again. For the second time in less than a year Illinois consumers—first in Central and Southern Illinois and now in Northern Illinois—face significantly higher electric bills because of a flawed power-pricing system. And while electric customers will take the hit, big power generators like Exelon, NRG and…...
Statement: CUB Executive Director David Kolata on today’s capacity auction results
For the second time in less than a year consumers in the state—first in Central and Southern Illinois and now in Northern Illinois—face significantly higher electric bills because of a flawed power-pricing system. Illinois’ electricity market is not working well for consumers. This price spike is one more red flag…...
CUB staffer teaches her brother that being efficient pays
By Samantha Vercellino For years, Atukwe Newell listened to his younger sister (and CUB Staffer) Yami Newell, talk about the benefits of being energy efficient. But he wasn’t sold. Now he’s biting his tongue and singing his sister’s praises after she helped him cut his electricity usage about 50 percent…...
An electric deal from…..Comcast?
By Samantha Vercellino Everybody knows that Comcast bundles cable, Internet and phone services, but did you know the company now sells electricity, too? Recently, a CUB staffer found a pitch for Comcast’s Energy Rewards plan in his email inbox. We decided to take a closer look at the deal. These…...
Smart Grid History: IL’s First Peak Time Savings Hours ever!
When Judy Cashen got the call from ComEd last Thursday morning announcing the summer’s first Peak Time Savings Hours, she jumped into action. The retiree, who lives in Chicago’s Pullman Historic District, turned off her air conditioning unit in order to earn credit back on her bill for cutting energy…...
A big change for Chicagoans… and a free tool to help
Beginning in August, more than 600,000 Chicago households will switch from the City’s municipal power deal with Constellation Energy back to ComEd, marking the end of the largest deal of its kind in the country. With the mass exodus of customers, Chicago residents need to be on high alert. The big…...
Electric competition: Not the money saver it once was
The times are a’changing. When electric competition began in northern Illinois, it seemed like a sure bet for savings. ComEd’s price at the time was high and electric customers could easily find deals by shopping the market of unregulated suppliers. But the era of easy savings is over, for now, in…...
Big Mistake: Spark Energy sends erroneous letters to suburban consumers
CUB wants to set the record straight about erroneous information Spark Energy has mailed to some Chicago-area residents. The Journal & Topics Newspapers reported that Buffalo Grove put out a news release about the alternative electricity supplier’s “false aggregation notice.” And Arlington Heights resident and CUB Litigation Director Julie Soderna…...
Why Northern Illinois should care about the rate hikes in Central and Southern Illinois
Lately we’ve been discussing an Illinois electricity auction that sparked a 12-35% price spike for many Central and Southern Illinois customers. The spike was due to an increase in capacity prices—what consumers pay to ensure power plants can deliver electricity on the highest-demand days of the year. Every spring, MISO (the…...
