Proposed Illinois law would protect consumers from private utility price gouging
A proposed Illinois law hopes to create more oversight on private companies to protect consumers from skyrocketing utility prices.
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A proposed Illinois law hopes to create more oversight on private companies to protect consumers from skyrocketing utility prices.
An Illinois consumer watchdog group is pushing for new state legislation to prevent utility companies from charging customers tens of millions of dollars in hidden fees on their electric, water, and natural gas bills.
Protesters on Tuesday were set to crank up the heat on Peoples Gas, over a just-announced rate hike that would add another $10 to $11 a month to utility bills. Lauren Victory reports.
ComEd said the spike, combined with an unseasonably warm June, raised the average bill by more than $67. Megan De Mar reports.
Power lines are working overtime with the heat, and some are concerned that blackouts are possible with so much air conditioning running at homes and businesses. Marissa Sulek reports.
The Citizens Utility Board said ComEd is not to blame for the spike, The watchdog group blames the regional grid operator, PJM, for what it calls “years of bad policy.”
This week, Chicagoans saw the coldest winter weather of the season so far, which was likely to have impacted consumers’ gas bills. But so could the nearly $13 billion proposal for gas line replacement — which could have Chicagoans seeing record-breaking increases for the next 15 years. Marissa Sulek reports.
Peoples Gas says replacing the pipes is an urgent safety matter.
The hike was fueled mainly by the company's Safety Modernization Program to replace nearly 2,000 miles of dangerous, old, deteriorating natural gas pipes.
The Illinois Public Interest Research Group and other organizations are seeking to educate the public about where their money is actually going. Megan Hickey reports.
State legislation was passed to pave the way for providers like AT&T to end servicing traditional copper landlines. After the AT&T cell service outage last week, some say landlines are more important than they are being given credit for. CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.
The $402 million dollar rate hike Peoples Gas is requesting could increase customers' bills by about $140 a year. Advocates said families on the South Side and West Side are already struggling to keep up with payments.
"Failure to invest in infrastructure is the kind of thing that happened in Texas two winters ago during their harsh winter storm. There was no heat and more than 240 people lost their lives."
ComEd is asking for a rate change, but they didn't call it a hike. In fact, in plain English it says, "Customer bills not expected to increase as part of the filing." CBS 2's Andrew Ramos reports.
The bitter blast means many of us are trying to stay warm inside and that means higher gas bills.
Cathryn Harris' power went out, her sump pumps broke, then her basement flooded - and ComEd admitted the outage was because of a failed underground power line. But that's not enough to get the utility giant to pay for damages.
If you're struggling to pay your utility bills during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Citizens Utility Board, or CUB, wants to remind you there is help available.
Get ready for a summer of ripoffs. In the last four years, Illinois residents have overpaid more than $600 million for electricity, and it's about to get worse.
CUB said technology is allowing scam artists to make thousands of calls a minute, and the calls have reached an "alarming level." The telecom services firm YouMail estimates there were a record 47.8 billion automated calls in 2018 -- most scam calls or telemarketers.
A consumer advocacy group is pushing a proposal to protect customers shopping for alternative electric and gas companies.
The Citizens Utility Board, AARP and the Illinois Public Interest Research Group are teaming up in opposition to proposed legislation in the Illinois General Assembly to would let AT&T get rid of traditional landline phones.
The Citizens Utility Board said it has seen a 65% increase in complaints and questions this winter about unregulated natural gas suppliers.
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) released Tuesday its first-ever guide to help TV viewers cut costs.
Top officers of Peoples Gas "knowingly misled" state regulators about the ballooning cost of a multibillion-dollar upgrade program to pave the way for a 2015 merger, according to a complaint filed by Attorney General Lisa Madigan and a utility watchdog.
It's unusual for three utilities and the Citizens Utility Board to come together for a single news conference, but they did just that Friday to try to prevent customers from being scammed.
Homeowners in Berwyn said they are constantly having to pump out sewage to keep it from flooding their basements.
Parents are stepping up, launching fundraising efforts to make sure those students don't miss out on the same opportunities as other bands.
The new requirements are not for the four existing centers and the five in the works.
The supercell produced 10 tornadoes that occurred in Illinois, and two others in northern Indiana on March 10.
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday said he was not aware of a hostile work environment complaint two of his top aides filed months before he fired them last week.
Delta is temporarily halting specialty services for members of Congress, citing strain on its resources during the partial government shutdown.
President Trump has long railed against mail-in voting, but used the method this month in a Florida election, public records indicate.
Democrats are pushing for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the Senate appeared to be closing in on a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
The City Council in Aurora, Illinois, is likely to lay down the hammer on data centers.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
For Cook County residents hoping to lower their property tax bills, applications are open for exemptions.
Officials in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette issued a warning Tuesday about scammers who are impersonating representatives of village departments.
Ending domestic violence is the goal of groups and advocates all over the world, and some experts in Chicago say it is time to become less reactive and more proactive when it comes to the people causing harm.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
The flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community will be moving later this year, a restaurant representative said Tuesday.
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen threw some shade at former teammate Michael Jordan in a new pop commercial.
The City Council in Aurora, Illinois, is likely to lay down the hammer on data centers.
Hundreds of workers were locked out of the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, on Thursday after contract negotiations failed to produce a deal ahead of a midnight deadline.
The artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries have suffered a setback as they try to reshape the midterm elections and establish themselves as power players in American politics.
Chicago-native John Mulaney announced a new stop at the Wisconsin State Fair this summer.
Following a ribbon-cutting attended by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Saturday, people were let inside the new space, at 5035 N. Broadway right off Argyle Street, for a special open house.
Chuck Norris' family said his death at 86 was sudden, but did not share any details on the cause.
ABC has canceled its already filmed season of "The Bachelorette" starring Taylor Frankie Paul after video surfaced of a 2023 incident in which she was charged with assault.
Acclaimed Chicago bar and music venue The Hideout has been sold to a performer and former employee, but the owners said it will carry on as the same beloved place that visitors have always known.
The limited-edition totes cost just a few bucks but are often resold on sites like eBay for much more.
United’s “Relax Row" will be located between economy and premium plus and feature seats that can transform into a couch, like a budget version of lay flat seats.
Temperatures build each day until a cold front passes late week, which will bring a threat for strong to severe storms Thursday. Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest.
The Morgan Park High School Band of Distinction has done it all—now the program faces a quieter struggle.
This comes one day after another delivery robot belonging to Serve Robotics also crashed into a bus shelter in West Town.
The robot belonging to Coco Robotics was spotted by a CBS News Chicago viewer near North Avenue and Halsted Street in Old Town on Tuesday afternoon.
The new requirements are not for the four existing centers and the five in the works.
Homeowners in Berwyn said they are constantly having to pump out sewage to keep it from flooding their basements.
Parents are stepping up, launching fundraising efforts to make sure those students don't miss out on the same opportunities as other bands.
The supercell produced 10 tornadoes that occurred in Illinois, and two others in northern Indiana on March 10.
Homeowners in Berwyn said they are constantly having to pump out sewage to keep it from flooding their basements.
CBS News Chicago learned that she was hired at the school in Mundelein in 2023, which was after DCFS found credible evidence that Servant had injured her children as a form of discipline.
United Steel Workers union representatives said that some workers had already had their access cards deactivated.
Have you ever walked into a business with no employees? You may soon; autonomous businesses are becoming more popular.
Streets were left pooled with rainwater, and homes flooded after Sunday night's storms. Residents say there is one clear solution
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen threw some shade at former teammate Michael Jordan in a new pop commercial.
The Bulls (29-42) led by as many as 22 points after scoring a season-high 41 points in the first quarter.
Tickets to a pair of Blackhawks games in Germany next season will go on sale on Friday.
Chicago's win was the team's first of the season after losing 4-0 to Angel City FC last weekend.
A 67-year-old man was killed Tuesday afternoon in a shooting on Chicago's Near West Side.
Burglars crashed into the renowned Golden Apple Grille and Breakfast House in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood early Monday morning, while the 24-hour restaurant was open.
A man was detained until trial Monday on charges in the death of a Chicago firefighter who died fighting a blaze in the city's Rogers Park neighborhood.
The man charged in the murder of Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman last week missed his first court appearance on Monday, because he was being treated for tuberculosis, prosecutors said.
Police in London are investigating a suspected antisemitic hate crime after vehicles belonging to a Jewish ambulance service were set on fire early Monday morning.
