Dale Fiene has his gas bill set to autopay, so he doesn’t usually look at it too closely—until January, that is, when his gas bill soared to more than $440. By the time he got his most recent bill this March, he saw that his gas supplier was listed as…...
How much does your phantom load affect your electric bill?
Phantom load–sometimes called “vampire power”–refers to home appliances still using energy even after you turn them off. So what impact does that have on your electric bill? About 10 percent of your energy costs come from wasted power. The National Resources Defense Council found phantom loads account for $19 billion…...
ICC investigates four alternative suppliers
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has brought four cases against alternative electric suppliers for allegedly violating marketing-related rules. CUB has gotten involved in the cases to make sure consumers’ voices are heard. Buried in the legal language are stories from consumers alleging outrageous behavior from some alternative suppliers. Here’s a…...
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…...
Environmental groups, state leaders rally against bailout of coal plants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to replace the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) plan. CUB argues the new plan is a bailout for failing coal-fired power plants and threatens to raise our electric bills. Today, Chicago hosted the only hearings in which the…...
