A voluntary ComEd program that charges participants an electricity rate that can change hourly set a record for savings in 2023, according to a report filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The Hourly Pricing program saved participants a total of $12.4 million in 2023, which was more than the…...
Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition unveils 2024 legislative platform
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), of which CUB is a member, has introduced its 2024 platform—a slate of legislation outlining critical solutions in the power, buildings, and transportation sectors that accelerate Illinois’ climate, equity, and energy goals. (Read the ICJC’s full release and watch the Springfield news conference.) In…...
Check out July gas prices–more head-scratching at CUB
Illinois utilities have filed their July gas prices with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and they’re fairly consistent with what we saw in June. One big exception: Consumers Gas has its prices rising 185 percent in just one month. As we reported in June, the volatility of the gas market often…...
February continues trend of lower gas prices–but they’re still higher than 2021
Some good news: Gas prices for February continue the downward trend we’ve been seeing the last few months. Plus, recently the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Energy Department, eased its prediction on how much more Midwest natural gas customers could pay on average this winter–from 29…...
January gas prices still way up–will we see some relief in 2023?
Natural gas supply prices dropped for about half of Illinois’ major gas utilities from December to January, but the prices are still at significantly high levels for the second consecutive winter. “We’re hoping that sometime in the new year we’ll see these price spikes ease for all customers, but the…...
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…...
Natural gas prices ease in November, but they’re still REALLY high
Good news: For the first time in months, we’re seeing a decrease in natural gas prices. Bad news: November’s supply prices–while lower than October–are higher than they were for most utilities in 2021, and they’re about about double to quadruple what they were two years ago, according to filings with…...