After months of suspense, the PJM Board announced a series of proposals on how to manage data center energy demand. But is it enough to protect us from soaring power bills and rolling blackouts? The Devil is in the details! Read our explainer. buff.ly/3sxpfdD

The big problem with heating gas, CUB tells CBS 2 Chicago: A volatile market PLUS utility rate hikes equals financial pain for consumers: buff.ly/mGepHcr

CUB supports the federal Power for the People Act, to rein in rising electricity costs due to data center energy demand. CUB's Sarah Moskowitz says "costs will continue to hit record highs if we don't act now." Read more: buff.ly/8g3wimI

IL American Water has just filed for yet another rate hike--we're fighting it! "This company—a rate-hike machine—has already burdened customers with 3 increases totaling $230M over the last decade." This will be hard on customers! Read CUB's statement: buff.ly/PfV84KD

CUB on ComEd's $15B, 4-year grid plan: "CUB is disappointed to see ComEd come in with another bloated, expensive grid plan. Everyone supports a strong distribution system, but ComEd has a responsibility to maintain its grid in a way that benefits customers & doesn’t bankrupt them." buff.ly/74U0FuW

Thank you to the National Weather Service for winter safety resources: buff.ly/JPWI9g5

Rate hikes and price spikes. We've got updates about your gas and electric bills. Read our update on gas rates: buff.ly/wfzbWX8 Read our update on electric rates: buff.ly/DJkMbkk

We wish you a meaningful Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The CUB office is closed today, but will reopen 9 am, Tuesday, Jan. 20. If you have a complaint about a utility company, it will be reviewed by CUB when the office reopens. CUB's complaint form: buff.ly/ggEI9O9

A top priority of consumer advocates when it comes to power bills and data centers: Big Tech MUST cover its own costs. buff.ly/sk9hUq5

Ivonne and Sofia from CUB's Outreach Department were in Evergreen Park this week to review consumers' utility bills. Each participant spoke one-on-one with a CUB counselor to spot unnecessary charges and explore money-saving opportunities. Great job, team!

CUB's Sarah Moskowitz talks about data centers and soaring electricity costs on Chicago Tonight: "We need to tackle this from every angle possible." There are things we can do at the state, regional and federal levels. buff.ly/6UmZefM

Just another winter morning in Illinois: Roaring wind, blowing snow. Read our tips on staying safe, warm and energy efficient: buff.ly/J8Rvn25

We're barely into 2026, and already two gas utilities are pushing for big rate hikes--AGAIN--while they roll in big profits. Sign CUB's petition against the Nicor Gas rate hike: buff.ly/CeWDniL Sign CUB's petition against the Peoples Gas rate hike: buff.ly/QrCqwX4

Chicago Tribune editorial: "If it wants to avoid a nasty backlash, the data center industry should cover most of the cost of its power needs rather than look to the public." (We agree, except it should be ALL OF the costs, not most!) buff.ly/MhV4FeO

BREAKING: Nicor Gas has filed for yet ANOTHER rate hike--we're fighting it! Read CUB's statement: buff.ly/NBrcmY8

2025 was a rough year, filled with rate hikes and price spikes. Take CUB's 2026 poll: What is your worst utility bill? buff.ly/UTc3SNp

The Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act was signed into law today. The CRGA Act is a significant and urgently needed step to protect consumers from future electricity market volatility. Read about key provisions: buff.ly/SDbohRt Watch CUB's Sarah Moskowitz speak at today's bill signing:

In January, CUB is holding utility bill clinics and presentations on home energy savings and navigating your solar options. Read our WatchBlog article on some of the free events CUB is staffing. buff.ly/Iq4k9lj

Read CUB's report on gas-market volatility: buff.ly/yDKBhtM Ameren Illinois– 48.36¢ per therm (UP about 6.3% from January 2025) Nicor Gas– 42.00¢ per therm (UP about 50% from January 2025) Peoples Gas– 41.81¢ per therm (UP about 24.9 percent from January 2025)

CUB: “Peoples Gas just received the biggest gas hike in Illinois history in 2023, and it’s all the more outrageous that this new cash grab comes as Chicago descends into one of the coldest months of the year and far too many families can’t afford to pay Peoples Gas bills..."

Our consumer advocacy doesn’t stop at the state level–CUB’s campaign Consumers for a Better Grid works for consumers on the larger-scale electric grid. Learn more here:

BREAKING: Peoples Gas has just filed for a rate hike. "At a time when Peoples Gas has been reaping massive profits as its customers pay soaring heating costs, the Chicago utility’s bid for yet another rate hike is unconscionable." CUB's statement: buff.ly/hhB2l3M

Happy New Year, and thank you for all your support of lower utility bills, cleaner energy and consumer protections! We look forward to working with you in 2026. buff.ly/jbMArif

Just a few hours left to make a year-end, tax-deductible donation for lower utility bills, cleaner energy and consumer protections. Will you join us for 2026? CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz would like to extend a big thank you for your support. buff.ly/jbMArif

ComEd customers, news you can use: As of January 2026, ComEd is launching a "Low-Income Discount (LID) Program" for qualifying customers buff.ly/iFmJaYM

Big thanks to our supporters who make consumer advocacy possible, and to all the consumer advocates we partner with in this work! Join CUB for 2026: buff.ly/jbMArif

CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (Annie, Danielle and Sandra) has handled more than 1,200 consumer inquiries, saving individual utility customers a total of $38,979 in 2025. Danielle from the team thanks all Illinois consumers for their support! buff.ly/jbMArif

CUB’s legal Team, Eric and Laura, helped turn back more than $238M in rate hikes this past year. But the utilities will be back fighting to raise your bills again in 2026. This morning, a group of generous CUB supporters is matching gifts up to a total of $1,000. Will you join? buff.ly/KwYfbKv

The Outreach Team (Grace, Ivonne, Karen, Matt, Sofia, Zoe) has staffed +220 free events in 2025, giving out money-saving tips on energy efficiency, solar power, reducing TV costs, and avoiding robocall scams & energy rip-offs. Karen tells Illinois consumers: Thanks for your support! buff.ly/SGfr53Y

The CUB staff is grateful for the support and partnership of Illinois consumers as we all work for a future of lower utility bills, cleaner, more affordable energy, and consumer protections. buff.ly/jbMArif

The CUB staff wishes you happy holidays with family, friends and neighbors.

We're never happy about a rate hike, but we are glad that state regulators struck costs connected to fixing ComEd's billing debacle. CUB said: “ComEd customers shouldn’t have to pay for the utility’s incompetence.”

CUB's office is closed for the holidays but will reopen at 9 a.m., Monday, Jan. 5th. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. If you have a complaint about a utility company, it will be reviewed by a Consumer Rights Counselor when the office reopens. CUB's complaint form: buff.ly/NlGWK8u

State regulators cut ComEd & Ameren IL electric rate-hike requests by millions of dollars, but the utilities still got increases, and we never like to see that. Read CUB's statements on ComEd's $243M (buff.ly/4wJUuPQ) & Ameren's $48M (buff.ly/Ra3m0qj ) rate hikes.

The PJM capacity auction has once again set a record-high price. That means ComEd power prices will remain HIGH into 2027-28. We have an urgent need for data center reforms at both PJM and in states like Illinois. Read CUB's statement: buff.ly/Aex7Mzc

A review of the gas market in northern Illinois by the consumer groups Citizens Utility Board and Illinois PIRG highlighted that rising gas prices, in addition to rate hikes from gas utilities, are creating a “double-whammy” for customers. buff.ly/KRtd3fW

In 2025, CUB worked with other consumer advocates to help cut gas rate hikes by +$200M. But on a daily basis we work for individual consumers. This year Ivonne (Outreach) and Sandra (Consumer Advocacy) helped a customer secure a $1,000 refund. Nice work! buff.ly/KwYfbKv

Dangerous cold this weekend. Be careful, make sure friends, family and neighbors are staying safe and warm. Read our tips here: buff.ly/hYFmJVJ And here: buff.ly/NcI6JFE Get National Weather Service updates: buff.ly/dGokq5a

We've got more work to do to rein in data centers, reform power grid policy, bring more clean, affordable energy to the grid & cut electricity prices. Read the Washington Post story about disconnections: buff.ly/1lVrdp3 And read about CUB's Consumers for a Better Grid campaign at ForABetterGrid.org.

Analysis by CUB, @IllinoisPIRG: At a time when consumers are paying inflated costs for necessities like groceries & healthcare, escalating heating gas prices plus serial utility rate hikes are likely to exacerbate hardships for IL households this winter. buff.ly/ALBMvqh

Nearly 2 years after ComEd botched its launch of a new billing system, CUB hopes to block IL's biggest electric utility from making customers, and not shareholders, cover nearly $50M in spending to fix the ongoing problems. Read our release: buff.ly/ZmxSYtA

The CUB staff is grateful for the support and partnership of Illinois consumers as we all work for a future of lower utility bills, cleaner, more affordable energy, and consumer protections. You can join CUB for 2026 here: buff.ly/4c0rbtP

The CUB team recently partnered with state Sen. Seth Lewis to hold a utility bill clinic in Wheaton. We love showing people how to cut their utility bills and use clean energy programs to save money. Great job, Sofia, Zoe and Grace!

ICYMI: CEJA will provide ComEd customers with an avg. credit of roughly $13/month, Jan-May. CUB: “We’ve got a lot of work to do to bring down energy bills...but it’s good news that...IL's strong energy policy is once again giving some relief to consumers.” buff.ly/8i64ejM

Another day standing up for consumers: Today, Karen from CUB was at Enlace's PAES Posada celebration--which allows community organizations to connect and bring resources to the Spanish-speaking community. Karen shared her knowledge on advocating for utility customers.

BREAKING from Crain's Chicago Business: The Climate & Equitable Jobs Act will provide ComEd customers an average credit of roughly $13/month, January-May. CUB says: "At a time of elevated power prices, IL's strong energy policy is once again giving some relief to consumers." buff.ly/ElpkOpF

AT&T has mailed letters to Illinois customers announcing the end of copper landline service, aka plain old telephone service, as early as March of 2027. It's shameful how AT&T has pushed customers off cheap, reliable phone service over the years. CUB Q&A: buff.ly/uUX6Omz

The CUB staff wants to thank you for your continued support. Look at everything we’ve accomplished this year: www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/11...

ICYMI: In a year of spiking power prices, ComEd & Ameren want to increase another part of our electric bills by a total of $328M! Read more: buff.ly/rke0HWg. Sign petitions against the Ameren (buff.ly/CIREbOj) & ComEd (buff.ly/NgYBhcs) hikes!

A special message from CUB’s team: THANK YOU to our supporters for making Giving Tuesday a success!