This summer CUB found consumers in different parts of Illinois paying an electricity supply rate with Clearview Energy that was more than triple what they would have paid with their utilities. At a utility-bill clinic in Lansing in June, CUB found that Dan was paying Clearview 22.99 cents per kilowatt-hour…...
CUB: ComEd, Ameren customers have lost $1.8B to alternative power suppliers since 2015; consumer group issues statewide warning against bad deals
Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois customers who have chosen alternative electricity suppliers have lost a combined total of about $297 million over the last year and $1.8 billion since 2015, CUB says, citing annual state reports on electricity competition. While ComEd and Ameren deliver electricity to their customers over the…...
CUB speaks out: Beware of bad deals from energy suppliers
Many consumers wonder if they should switch to an alternative supplier to cut down on their electric or gas bills. But beware, these enticing offers are many times not as good as they seem. In fact, Illinois consumers have lost $1.6 billion to alternative electric suppliers since 2015. CUB Executive…...
Watch Out For Alternative Supplier Rip-offs With These Tips
During high-priced times, consumers wonder if they should switch to a gas or electric alternative supplier. Be careful. “Alternative electricity suppliers are impacted by the same market conditions that are causing utility prices to increase, so be careful about getting lured into bad deals,” said CUB General Counsel Julie Soderna…...
Updates on CUB’s fight to rein in alternative suppliers behaving badly
When CUB helped pass historic consumer protections against alternative supplier rip-offs, the watchdog made it clear that the hard work was just beginning. “We look forward to working with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and Attorney General (Kwame) Raoul to help enforce these new rules and build a better market…...
Hey Illinois, beware of rip-offs
Everybody is worrying about costs these days—I know we talk to a lot of concerned consumers. That’s why CUB is issuing this warning. If you get pitched any of these offers, be careful! Maintenance plans. They peddle peace of mind (“the unexpected—protected,” says one ad). But maintenance plans offered to utility…...
ICC orders $1 million fine against alternative energy supplier
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has fined alternative electricity supplier LifeEnergy, LLC, $1 million and ordered more than $34,000 in customer refunds for “admitted violations of state marketing and sales rules.” “This is a major victory for Illinois consumers, who have been ripped off by alternative energy suppliers far too…...
Anti-robocall legislation rings in the new year
The nation’s toughest anti-robocall legislation, the TRACED Act, has just been signed into law. That’s good news in Illinois, which each year is the target of billions of these nuisance calls. While it won’t stop the pesky automated calls entirely, the act is a concrete step in the right direction.…...
Breaking: Electricity rip-offs more likely this summer
96-year-old Elizabeth Davis gets ripped off every time she turns on the lights. She and other customers of alternative electric suppliers have overpaid by $600 million in recent years, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. That’s why I want to share this important news: State legislators just passed some of…...
Good news on a Friday night: General Assembly passes historic consumer protections
Just wanted to share this statement from CUB Executive Director David Kolata on a major victory for consumers at the General Assembly tonight: STATEMENT FROM CUB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID KOLATA ON PASSAGE OF HEAT ACT The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) thanks the General Assembly for passing the HEAT Act, historic…...
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