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In 35 years of consumer advocacy, this is one of the highest gas rates CUB has ever seen

Dale Fiene has his gas bill set to autopay, so he doesn’t usually look at it too closely—until January, that is, when his gas bill soared to more than $440. By the time he got his most recent bill this March, he saw that his gas supplier was listed as…...

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ICC investigates four alternative suppliers

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has brought four cases against alternative electric suppliers for allegedly violating marketing-related rules. CUB has gotten involved in the cases to make sure consumers’ voices are heard. Buried in the legal language are stories from consumers alleging outrageous behavior from some alternative suppliers. Here’s a…...

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Top six cities hit by robocalls

Last month, CUB published its first-ever “Guide to Fighting Robocalls“, and over 1,500 people signed our petitions urging the Big Telecom companies to take action against the influx of these annoying calls. Some robocalls are necessary, like school closings, pharmacy reminders, etc. But many are flat-out scams. According to YouMail, Illinois…...

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Do robocallers know where I am?

Last week my cell phone rang, and the caller ID said it was my young son’s afterschool program. I don’t get calls from afterschool, so immediately I thought that my son was sick or hurt. But when I picked up, it was just a robocall, specifically the Chinese consulate scam,…...

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Take robocall fight to congress

A thousand Illinoisans signed last week’s petition urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight robocall scams. Thank you! While we have momentum, we need to hit this issue on multiple fronts. Let’s remind Congress that we’re tired of being bombarded with billions of robocalls, including scams that rob us…...

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Robocalls on the rise: tips on stopping phony callers

We asked people on Facebook if they get a lot of robocalls, and boy did we get an earful! “I get an average of 35-40 a week. Insanity!” wrote Kathleen. “I’ve had a zillion on my cellphone, all from different areas of the country, all about buying insurance,” added Susabelle.…...

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Anatomy of a Bad Deal

When Robert Smith’s gas bills suddenly shot up, he was confused. He was supposed to be paying less for gas with alternative gas supplier Energy Rewards than with the regulated utility in his area, Nicor. So he sat down to compare what he had been paying with Energy Rewards to…...

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Free CUB guide: Protect yourself from online crooks

NOTICE: CUB’s newest publication is Internet Privacy: A Guide to Protecting Yourself Online. (You may have heard WBBM radio report on the guide over the holidays.) If you’ve read the guide, please tell us what you think. We like to hear your comments so we can improve our library of…...

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CUB releases first-ever internet privacy guide to help IL consumers avoid online crooks and scam artists

For the first time in its three-decade history, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has released a guide on internet privacy to help Illinois consumers prevent online crooks and scam artists from stealing their personal information, and their money. Consumers can get a free copy of “Internet Privacy: A Guide to…...

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Consumer Alert: Does your gas bill have a charge from Nicor Home Solutions?

When’s the last time you carefully looked at your Nicor Gas bill? Is there a charge from Nicor Home Solutions tucked away among all the other charges? If there is, get the facts:  Fact: Nicor Home Solutions is NOT Nicor Gas, the regulated utility. Nicor Home Solutions is an unregulated affiliate…...

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