What is the QIP surcharge? The Qualified Infrastructure Plant, or QIP, fee is charged by Ameren Illinois, Nicor Gas and Peoples Gas, the three biggest gas utilities in Illinois. It covers certain costs associated with replacing natural gas pipes and other work on the utilities’ gas delivery system. You may…...
Brace yourself: October gas prices more than double 2020 supply rates
Most Illinois natural gas utilities in October are charging more than double their 2020 prices, according to preliminary tariff filings. Natural gas prices have been on the rise since early this year, causing growing concern as winter weather draws near. These appear to be the highest winter heating season prices…...
Consumer Coalition launches campaign to eliminate gas utility surcharge
A coalition of consumer, environmental, and community advocates along with legislative champions have announced legislation to end a gas utility surcharge contributing to higher heating bills across the state. (Take action against this surcharge!) The coalition, which includes CUB, pointed to numerous examples of rapidly rising bills from one end…...
CUB’s weekly e-newsletter: What’s up with your gas utility?
In this week’s e-newsletter, CUB’s policy and legal teams update you on how Illinois’ major gas utilities are trying to make you pay more. Read the summaries below and sign CUB’s petition against the utilities’ profit grabs. Ameren Illinois filed a $102 million natural gas rate hike with the Illinois Commerce…...
Live in Chicago? Last winter you paid 67% more to heat your home than your friends in the burbs
There’s more evidence of an impending heating-affordability crisis for Chicago residents: This week, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that for the second consecutive year, city residents paid hundreds of dollars more for gas than suburbanites–about $324 more. In the winter of 2017-2018, Peoples Gas customers paid about 80 percent more on…...
Good news, for a change
It’s easy to get discouraged when talking about rate hikes and rip-offs. But here’s some good news: One of Illinois’ biggest newspapers praised the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which CUB has been fighting for in Springfield. Read the Chicago Sun-Times editorial. Please send a message to your legislators in favor of…...
Peoples Gas sets lowest rate in almost 3 years (plus, see your March gas prices)
Amid a pipeline-replacement program that could lead to a Chicago heating-affordability crisis, Peoples Gas customers have a little relief: Its March rate dropped to its lowest in three years, at 26.53 cents per therm. That’s the lowest price Peoples Gas customers have seen since June of 2016, when the price…...
Why Chicago (and my brother) may face a heating-affordability crisis
By Jennifer Jones, CUB communications assistant When CUB Executive Director David Kolata recently described the Peoples Gas pipeline-replacement program as “a looming disaster” for Chicago gas bills it hit close to home, because my brother Milton has been a Chicagoan for the past decade. Last winter, he and other customers…...
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