It’s been a historic year so far, with Illinois utilities pushing for a record $2.9 billion in higher rates and a major transition at the Citizens Utility Board (CUB). Check out my mid-year report–and please consider a small contribution to support the work for clean, affordable energy. Summary: Major change…...
Making A Difference: She said “no one at the utility company was listening”— but CUB did
CUB has helped save Illinois consumers more than $20 billion over the last four decades, but sometimes the most important consumer victory is just listening. Take Eleanor’s case. For two years, her October and November bills were around $285 and Nicor kept saying that’s what the meter read. They even…...
Preparing for an Expensive Summer: Your Energy Efficiency Shopping List
In 2021, homes across the country used about 235 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to cool their homes–that’s about 16 percent of total residential energy consumption. So as we prepare for an expensive summer, it pays to improve your home’s efficiency. CUB put together a home-improvement shopping list for better energy…...
CUB Alert: Apply Now for LIHEAP Utility Bill Assistance Before May 31 Deadline
With an expensive summer ahead, we urge consumers to apply now for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding before the May 31 deadline. Households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level are eligible for LIHEAP funding. To help consumers prepare to apply, we are holding two…...
In Another Month of High Gas Prices, CUB Alerts Consumers to New Protections
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) urges people struggling to pay their heating bills to contact their utility to find out what protections and relief are available, as natural gas prices continued to soar. The price spike coupled with aggressive spending by gas utilities has caused many consumers to pay hundreds…...
Consumer advocates secure utility protections after hard winter
Throughout the pandemic, consumer advocates, state regulators and utilities have negotiated consumer protections to try to keep people connected to service. The following is a summary of the latest protections, broken down by the major utilities in the state, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). After reading this, CUB…...
CUB services helping consumers cut their utility bills $26/month
CUB services have saved participants an average of about $26 a month on their utility bills, according to a staff review. COVID-19 may have brought CUB’s in-person events to a halt, but that hasn’t stopped CUB’s outreach team from working hard to serve consumers through online events and services. Along…...
CUB staffer secures $4,800 refund from alternative supplier
If you’ve ever called CUB, there’s a good chance you’ve spoken to Jantay Gray, the woman who often answers our Consumer Hotline (1-800-669-5556). Jan is one of many outstanding consumer advocates on staff. This year, Sandra Marcelin-Reme, CUB’s director of consumer advocacy, sent the staff an email that exclaimed “WAY…...
