To: CUB members, as requested by CUB Executive Director David Kolata While the pandemic has caused a slow-down in the economy, Regulatory Counsel Eric DeBellis and I have been busier than ever — in fact, our caseload right now stands at 13. These are stressful times, but I know that…...
CUB review: Many community power deals no longer money savers
There was a time when municipal aggregation–electricity deals that local leaders negotiate for residents of a community–secured savings for consumers, but a new CUB review has found that most deals are no longer beating the utility rate. As of July 31, just 78 of the 555 total active municipal aggregation deals in…...
Help the environment and cut your costs with ComEd’s Time-of-Day pricing program
With the introduction of smart meters across Illinois, consumers have more options when it comes to how they use and pay for electricity. ComEd’s new Time-of-Day Pricing Program—which charges different electric rates during different periods of the day—is one such option. So how does the Time-of-Day program work? Most customers…...
News you can use during a power outage
Storms that ripped through Illinois this week–more than 10 confirmed tornadoes in northern Illinois, including one in Chicago–left more than 800,000 ComEd customers and about 55,000 Ameren customers without power. If you are one of the unlucky ones who may not have power until Saturday, here are some helpful resources:…...
Consumer losses from alternative electric suppliers exceed $1 billion
Illinois has reached a grim milestone in the history of electric competition in the state: Residential consumers have now lost more than $1 billion to alternative electric suppliers since 2015, according to a new report from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). More than 1.67 million ratepayers are signed up with…...
Real-Time Pricing: Another way to save–just ask CUB staffers
Most people pay an electricity rate that only changes a few times a year, but real-time pricing offers a different way to pay for electricity. Instead of charging a standard price per kilowatt-hour, the utility charges program participants a supply rate that changes each hour. ComEd offers real-time pricing through…...
Consumer advocates fight for extended COVID-19 protections for utility customers
After a historic agreement between consumer advocates and Illinois’ major utilities, state regulators are now considering the most comprehensive COVID-19 utility relief measures in the country. This plan could serve as a national model for helping utility customers struggling to pay their bills during the worst economic crisis since the…...
Alert: Electricity prices change for Ameren, ComEd customers
The Citizens Utility Board on Monday alerted Illinois consumers to a change in electricity prices for the state’s two largest utilities: Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison. As of June 1, both utilities switched to their summer “price to compare”—the rate customers should compare to alternative supplier offers. According to the…...
Federal legislation gives Illinois $41 million boost in energy assistance
Illinois has received more than $41 million in extra assistance to help low-income consumers pay their electric and gas bills during the pandemic, thanks to the federal stimulus package that passed earlier this spring. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a wide-ranging package designed…...
ComEd, Ameren file for electric rate decreases (yes, you read that right!)
Electric utilities ComEd and Ameren Illinois have both filed for rate decreases before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)—$11.5 million and $45.3 million, respectively. Both requests will be reviewed by the Commission and decided on in December. ComEd’s cut, its third rate decrease in a row and fifth in 10 years,…...
