Amid an ongoing pandemic and skyrocketing energy prices, CUB in 2021 sued a scandal-plagued utility, beat back millions of dollars in rate hikes and helped pass historic energy legislation. “I am proud of how our staff battled through yet another difficult year, but consumers deserve the credit,” CUB Executive David…...
CUB releases new guide to help Illinois consumers shop phone market
The Citizens Utility Board announced that it has released a new “Guide to Phone Choices” to help Illinois consumers navigate their options in the telecom market. Visit CitizensUtilityBoard.org to order a free copy of the 16-page publication, which includes information about selecting cellphone, landline and VoIP service. The phone landscape…...
COVID-19 crisis: 5 phone numbers utility customers should know
In a crisis like this, communication is key. All utility customers should keep these numbers handy. No. 1: Utility hotlines ComEd: Residential: 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) Spanish: 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237) Business: 1-877-4-COMED-1 (1-877-426-6331) Emergencies: 1-800-334-7661 Payment arrangements and credit issues; 1-800-334-7661 Ameren: Residential: 1-800-755-5000 Business: 1-800-232-2477 Nicor: Emergencies, or to speak to someone about your account or billing information: is…...
CUB’s Virtual Utility Bill Clinic
Because of concerns about COVID-19, we are bringing back a popular service: virtual utility-bill clinics. How it works: A CUB specialist will look over your gas, electric and telecom bills to see if you’re signed up with an alternative supplier or if you’re paying for unnecessary products and services. We’ll…...
Act now! Fight irritating, illegal robocalls
Today, CUB asked Illinois consumers to sign a petition to fight illegal “robocalls.” It’s the perfect time to take action, now that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler has urged big phone companies to give customers free technology to block these computer-generated telemarketing calls. We’re all annoyed by these…...
Tell phone companies: Protect me from robocalls!
Sick of annoying telemarketing calls? We hear you. New call-blocking technology could stop robocallers from harassing you—but we still have to convince major phone companies to get on board and offer the services. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently clarified rules and gave telephone companies the green light to offer…...
Local Phone Cost-cutter analyzes 50,000th bill!
CUB is celebrating a milestone this week: Our free online service, the Local Phone Cost-Cutter, just analyzed its 50,000th phone bill. That means the tool has shown Illinois consumers how to cut their AT&T local phone bills by $9.9 million per year—definitely a reason to celebrate! The Local Phone Cost-Cutter, created…...
