Your CUB Voice

Welcome to the online edition of the Summer 2025 CUB Voice! In order to devote the most resources to our free consumer services–including challenging rate hikes, running our Consumer Hotline (1-800-669-5556) and holding hundreds of events to help people cut their utility bills–CUB is printing and mailing a condensed CUB Voice. But this digital version has full coverage of how your CUB team is fighting for lower utility bills, clean energy and consumer protections. My special request: CUB receives no state funding—we rely on support from good people like you. Please help us continue to provide these critical services for Illinois consumers.

Thank you!
Sarah Moskowitz
CUB Executive Director

Special report: Illinois consumers in 2025 are being threatened with rate hikes on both sides of the bill—supply and delivery—as big energy companies and utilities push for windfall profits.

Nicor Gas’ bid for a record-breaking $308.6 million rate hike is rife with excesses and should be slashed by more than half, according to testimony submitted to state regulators by the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Illinois PIRG, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and other consumer advocates.

In May, prices for all 9 major Illinois gas utilities were higher than they were a year ago, led by Peoples Gas, which is charging customers a supply price that is about 116 percent higher; North Shore Gas, with a price about 81 percent higher and Nicor Gas, with a price that is up about 59 percent.

With consumers and the power grid facing unprecedented threats–including price spikes, surging demand sparked by data centers, and poor regional policy–legislative champions joined with consumer advocates to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB2473/HB3779).

CUB is partnering with county governments, a nonprofit and solar professionals to promote a group-buy program that can secure deep discounts on solar installations and help participants cut their power bills by hundreds of dollars a year.

A spike in April’s heating fuel price shows that Peoples Gas drastically understated the fallout customers would experience from a record-breaking rate hike the company imposed last year, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) warned.

In a little more than a decade, Illinois’ three major gas utilities have raised delivery rates by close to $1.5 billion, almost doubling what customers pay–and aggressive utility spending threatens to make it even worse for consumers in years to come, according to research by members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, including Illinois PIRG and CUB.

Concluding a year-long investigation into concerns that Peoples Gas’ controversial pipe-replacement program was ushering Chicagoans to the brink of a financial abyss, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) significantly restricted the amount the utility sought to spend to complete the initiative. In a ruling on the future of Peoples’ System Modernization Program (SMP), the Commission excluded large parts of Peoples’ preferred pipe-replacement blueprint from the scope of expenditures it authorized and required the utility to take a more cost-conscious and incremental approach to the project.

At CUB, we take seriously our mission of advocating for utility customers, and we work hard to live up to the generosity of our supporters. We’d like to share a few special notes we’ve received lately from people thankful for our free services.

• Notice: Complaints about EverBright Solar
• Jumpstart your spring cleaning with energy efficiency tips from CUB
• Tips for fighting high summer electric bills
• Beat the heat with summer safety tips
• News you can use: Power outage tips
• My guided tour of ComEd’s Community Solar billing mess

• CUB’s Sarah Moskowitz on testifying at Chicago City Hall about Peoples Gas
• CUB Director of Governmental Affairs Bryan McDaniel thanks consumers for supporting CUB’s legislative advocacy
• CUB Livestream: Earth Day in Pop Culture

In November, CUB was the subject of a Chicago Sun-Times feature story to mark our 40th anniversary. The story began: “Utility bills can be confusing, but the nonpartisan Citizens Utility Board of Illinois has helped save consumers an estimated $20 billion in blocked rate hikes and refunds over the past 40 years.” Read the story on CUB’s WatchBlog.

With Chicago wind chills dropping below zero, Illinois PIRG, AARP Illinois and CUB delivered 5,000+ petition signatures to state regulators calling for reform of Peoples Gas’ mismanaged, over-budget pipe-replacement program. The program has been a big reason for Peoples Gas bills skyrocketing.

CUB’s Outreach Team, pictured here in the office in October, says thank you to  CUB supporters who make their work possible. The team holds hundreds of educational events across the state each year and work with many partner organizations to educate Illinois consumers on their utility bills and saving money.

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Read the last edition of the digital CUB Voice here.