CUB staffers have been working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped our outreach team from connecting with consumers and helping them save money on their bills. CUB member Don will save about $50 a month after his gas and electric bills were analyzed by CUB’s…...
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…...
The “largest electric increase in state history”—unless Illinois passes CEJA
A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruling could increase power bills for most Illinois consumers by up to $1.7 billion over the next decade—what could be the largest electric increase in state history—unless the General Assembly passes the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) in 2020. (Read CUB’s statement.) Here’s what you…...
CUB’s 2019 Year in Review: ‘These victories are your victories.’
In CUB’s 35th year fighting for consumers, we set a new record for staffing money-saving events, marked a historic legislative victory, and worked on cases that have the potential to secure $90 million in refunds, rate cuts and other consumer benefits. CUB Executive Director David Kolata said this work is…...
CUB “helped save my company from bankruptcy” with $82,000 credit
Devin B. won’t ever forget the monster ComEd bills he feared would bankrupt his small business before it even started. In March, ComEd told him he had used 293,106 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. That’s about 2,400 times his typical usage. His bill, which usually hovered around $100, ballooned to $44,226.…...
Back-to-back consumer refunds: Over $800 in savings!
Jantay Gray, consumer advocacy assistant at CUB, recently helped two consumers land refunds–totaling $871.45! “I try my best to advocate for whom I believe to be the most vulnerable utility customers–the elderly and victims of economic disparities,” she said. Throughout the year, CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD) takes thousands of calls…...
CUB’s NEW Gas & Electric Guide
We are happy to announce that after months of research and writing by CUB’s experts, we are releasing an online Gas and Electric Guide, the first such publication in CUB’s 35-year history. This free handbook is a comprehensive guide to all the rules and regulations that govern how gas and electric utilities should…...
‘Like magic’: Consumer Advocacy Department captures $108,000+ in savings
Each year, thousands of Illinois consumers contact CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD), to ask a question or file a complaint about an electric, gas, or telecom/cable company behaving badly. In 2018 alone, the department saved people more than $108,000, including: • $62,082.76, for an apartment building that was the victim of…...
