Do you bicker with your family over the thermostat setting? You’re not alone! Test your knowledge by taking our thermostat quiz. We’ll randomly select one quiz-taker to win $100 off their summer energy bills. The deadline to enter is midnight, July 31. Take the quiz now! Energy efficiency isn’t about…...
Washington Post: Nearly 1% of all Illinois residences were cut off for nonpayment in October 2020
In a special report from Peoria, Washington Post reporter Greg Jaffe uncovered grim statistics about shut-offs in that Central Illinois city. It indicates, as one researcher said, that our social safety net is in “grave need of repair.” Jaffe reports: As the pandemic dragged on month after month, hundreds struggled…...
CUB Q&A: Illinois and spiking natural gas prices
The extreme winter weather that hit the nation February 14-15 has led to some Illinois consumers paying high natural gas prices. In issuing a disaster proclamation for all 102 Illinois counties in the wake of the snow and subzero temperatures, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration sounded the alarm a few weeks ago:…...
Consumer advocates fight for extended COVID-19 protections for utility customers
After a historic agreement between consumer advocates and Illinois’ major utilities, state regulators are now considering the most comprehensive COVID-19 utility relief measures in the country. This plan could serve as a national model for helping utility customers struggling to pay their bills during the worst economic crisis since the…...
Victory in Springfield: Funding restored for excellent utility program
Good news out of Springfield this week: General Assembly leaders and the governor restored funding for the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)—an essential program that helps keep electric and gas bills affordable for roughly 50,000 low-income customers. After months of campaigning from consumer advocates, including CUB and more than 1,700 of you who…...

