The consumer watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is working with five Chicagoland counties, renewable energy advocates and solar professionals to offer a program that can help homeowners install solar panels at a significant discount and reduce their electric bills by hundreds of dollars, CUB announced Thursday. The Solar Switch program…...
Solar group buy program helps 76 properties go solar ($71,000 in potential first-year savings)
A special program that CUB works on ended 2022 with 76 properties contracted to install solar panels in the coming months–a potential total savings of more than $71,000 for participants in the first year alone. After a year of elevated global energy costs, these Chicago-area residents are moving toward renewable…...
CUB statement on Ameren’s $57.6 million electric rate hike
Ameren’s Illinois’ $57.6 million formula rate hike just adds to consumers’ pain in an already difficult year. In addition to this electric delivery rate hike, in 2021 consumers have endured significant increases in gas and electricity supply rates as well as a $76 million gas delivery rate hike. Ameren customers…...
Big step forward: Illinois Senate passes energy bill, now it’s on to the House
After more than two years pushing for comprehensive energy legislation that fights climate change and secures clean, affordable energy for Illinois, we’ve taken a key step forward this month. In the wee hours of the morning Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Illinois Senate passed legislation and sent it to the House.…...
Utility Diaries: A Month of Bills in Urbana, Illinois
In Utility Diaries, we look at what different households across Illinois pay in a month for utility expenses. Today’s household consists of two people in a rented house in Urbana. Housing Background Location: Urbana, IL Household Size: 2 people Housing Type: House Rent or Own: Rent Square Footage: 1,215 Year…...
Ballooning bills, silent customer service: CUB joins ICC probe into three alternative suppliers
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is investigating three alternative suppliers–Realgy, Liberty Power and Switch Energy–after receiving hundreds of complaints from consumers about marketing techniques, unresponsive call centers and an unusual Realgy fee that has caused bills to skyrocket overnight. CUB’s legal team is intervening in the cases. These companies are…...
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