By Ivonne Ortiz, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, CUB Each year, CUB helps thousands of Illinoisans who have complaints/inquiries about their utility companies. Recently, I took the complaint of a ComEd customer who wondered why her power bills were skyrocketing. She lives alone in a condo and hadn’t made any changes to her…...
A CUB Buyer’s Guide to LED Bulbs
Lighting accounts for approximately 20 percent of a typical electric bill, so using energy efficient bulbs can result in big savings. If enough people switch to LEDs (light-emitting diodes), by 2027 the U.S. could save about $265 billion, according to a Department of Energy estimate. But how do you choose…...
FAQ on Dynegy’s legislation: Why you should oppose it
In the General Assembly’s October Veto session, Houston-based Dynegy is pushing legislation (Senate Bill 2250/House Bill 4141) to prop up its financially ailing coal-fired power plants. UPDATE: The bill stalled in 2017, but CUB fully expects the legislation to come back in 2018. CUB opposes the legislation. Here’s why you should…...
Take action for Efficiency!
Watching daily developments in Washington, it’s easy to get discouraged. But as a nonpartisan group that works to lower utility bills, we want to alert you about good legislation on Capitol Hill—and give you a chance to take action. Just last week, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee recommended that…...
Stop: The “Raise Our Utility Bills Act”
New legislation was introduced in Washington this month that would kill efficiency standards and potentially hit Americans with billions of dollars in higher utility costs. H.R. 117 is called the “Energy Efficiency Free Market Act of 2017,” but a better name would be the “Raise Our Utility Bills Act.” The…...
General Assembly passes historic energy efficiency standards
On the last day of the General Assembly’s veto session, legislators passed Senate Bill 2814, a measure that will spark lower utility bills by establishing historic energy efficiency standards for Illinois’ biggest electric utilities. On Thursday evening, the Illinois House passed the measure, also called the “Future Energy Jobs Bill,” 63-38,…...
Consumer Alert: PIPP is back! (but funds are going fast)
A program that helps low-income seniors and families stay current with their utility bills was reinstated after budget disputes in Springfield suspended it for a year. However, due to the program’s popularity the funding has run out in Cook County and is going fast in other counties. The Percentage of Income…...
Q&A: The Attorney General’s Settlement with Ethical Electric
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has reached a settlement with a Washington, D.C.-based alternative electricity supplier, Ethical Electric Inc., for misleading direct mail solicitations of its “green” offers. Under the settlement, Ethical, which has been a top source of consumer questions or complaints to CUB, promises to pay customers refunds.…...
Give yourself (and your power bill) a relaxing Fourth of July
By Sagar Dommaraju What better holiday than Independence Day to free yourself from high electricity costs. Follow these tips for the perfect Fourth of July weekend. First, take a holiday from the daily bustle and leave your electronics—computers, TVs, phones, printers—alone for the weekend. Make sure to unplug them completely…...
