The parent companies of Illinois’ major electric, cable, natural gas and phone companies made a total of $17.7 billion in profits last year, according to a CUB review of recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Comcast: The cable, phone and Internet giant saw its 2014 profits top $8.4 billion…...
ICC to launch Peoples investigation
Today, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) announced plans to investigate an expensive Peoples Gas’ pipe replacement program. Projected costs for the program have reportedly ballooned to $4.6 billion over the past five years and could cause YOUR rates to double in the next decade. CUB wants to thank the ICC for taking a stand…...
Peoples disaster = Higher gas rates?
The Peoples Gas pipe replacement program is shaping up to be the biggest train wreck of 2015. Projected costs have reportedly doubled—to $4.6 billion—in five years. That could cause our gas rates to double over the next decade! Peoples had previously accelerated its schedule to replace 1,700 miles of aging pipes under the…...
Breaking: Peoples, North Shore Gas receive $78.5 million in rate hikes
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Wednesday granted Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas a $78.5 million increase in delivery rates ($74.8 million for Peoples Gas, $3.7 million for North Shore Gas, according to ICC figures). We’re glad the ICC slashed the companies’ initial rate requests by more than $50 million, but we still think the…...
Illinois natural gas prices drop (for now)
By Samantha Vercellino The temperature isn’t the only thing that’s dropping. Gas prices have fallen by up to 31 percent this month, compared with December. Here’s a sampling of what major Illinois utilities are charging this month compared with last: Utility Company Jan. 2015 (cents/therm) Dec. 2014 (cents/therm) Percent Ameren 56.308 57.17 -1.51%…...
News that hits us like a big lump of coal: Gas prices up by as much as 30% this December
By Samantha Vercellino As cold grips the Midwest in the opening days of December, we’re forced to welcome natural gas prices that are up to 30 percent higher. Major Illinois utilities are charging consumers 13-30 percent more to heat their homes this December compared to last. Peoples Gas showed the…...
A less expensive winter?
By Samantha Vercellino The weather may be bitter cold now, but experts are predicting milder overall temperatures this winter, bringing Midwesterners out of their temporary hibernation, and hopefully, giving us a break on our bills. How big a break? Chicago utility Peoples Gas, which charged the highest gas rates in the state…...
Good news for Ameren natural gas customers?
Ameren is predicting its customers will see lower natural gas prices this winter—but that doesn’t guarantee they’ll see lower bills. The utility says it expects prices to hover between 53 and 55 cents per therm, down about 5 percent from the prices customers paid last winter. But Ameren cautioned that lower prices don’t guarantee…...
