ComEd bills soar with cost of electricity up
ComEd said the spike, combined with an unseasonably warm June, raised the average bill by more than $67. Megan De Mar reports.
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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.
The Illinois Commerce Commission on Wednesday announced an investigation into Peoples Gas' controversial and pricey gas-main replacement program in Chicago after allegations by two whistleblowers.
A couple years ago, you could save decent money on your electric bill merely by switching to an alternate energy supplier, but Citizens Utility Board spokesman Jim Chilsen said not anymore. That is because those companies have started hiking rates, and ComEd has gotten out from under an expensive contract.
Illinois lawmakers have introduced legislation that would allow ComEd to charge customers about $2 more per month to cover the costs of its nuclear power plants, drawing criticism from a utility watchdog group that says ComEd's parent company already makes plenty of profit.
A plumbing worker's windshield was damaged Friday afternoon when a chunk of snow or ice fell from a semi-truck in front of him as he was driving in Chicago's far northwestern suburbs.
Students and faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago have been on a mission for the last 15 years, helping to recover the remains of service members who went missing in action decades ago.
As the cold Chicago winter begins and households start staring down rising heating bills, ComEd is launching a new discount for people with qualifying household income to help with their electricity costs.
A beloved store in west suburban LaGrange Park is reopening this weekend after being shuttered for months when a garbage truck plowed through the business.
A Catholic priest from Chicago's south suburbs took an interesting journey, walking from Dolton to New York, a trek of more than 50 days, as he sent a message to immigrant families.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
President Trump has led the charge to create more GOP-friendly congressional districts in the 2026 midterm elections.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is set to retire in 2026, but before he leaves Congress he is making one last attempt to pass the DREAM Act.
Former Chicago Tribune publisher and editor-in-chief R. Bruce Dold passed away this week.
Authorities say the FBI has arrested a man suspected of placing pipe bombs outside RNC and DNC headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning about additional cookware brands that could be leaching lead into your food.
Walgreens said it will close its office space in Chicago's Old Post Office building.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
Two pregnant Black women recently faced alarming neglect at hospitals in Indiana and Texas, highlighting racial disparities in maternal care.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed a bill aimed at protecting vaccine access in Illinois.
Roseland Community Hospital on Monday celebrated the opening of a new sickle cell treatment clinic.
Consumers with the imported pans should throw them away due to the severe health risks posed by lead, the agency warns.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
Small Business Saturday was disrupted by the winter storm for many business owners in Chicago, but in the Rogers Park neighborhood, a group of business owners came together to draw customers.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
A federal judge has called out an immigration enforcement agent for using artificial intelligence to write the narrative of a use-of-force report as just a small part of a scathing opinion that rebutted federal officials' narratives about appropriate force used against protesters and others during an ongoing immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Frank Gehry was known for designing the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Netflix on Friday said it will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
Starting Wednesday, riders on the Chicago Transit Authority system will hear a recognizable Chicago voice during their commutes.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
Joe Colborn, better known as Joe "JoBo" Bohannon on Chicago radio, died this week.
A Catholic priest from Chicago's south suburbs took an interesting journey, walking from Dolton to New York, a trek of more than 50 days, as he sent a message of solidarity with immigrants.
The architecture world is mourning the loss of a giant who had a profound impact on Chicago. Frank Gehry, the renowned architect who designed the Pritzker Pavilion amphitheater at Millennium Park and the BP Pedestrian Bridge connecting Millennium Park to Maggie Daley Park, has died at the age of 96.
The man accused of planting pipe bombs outside major political party headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021, is being ordered to remain in custody.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
Students and faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago have been on a mission for the last 15 years, helping to recover the remains of service members who went missing in action decades ago.
Chicago firefighters were called to a two-alarm building fire near a school on the city's Northwest Side Friday afternoon.
Several tanker cars on a freight train derailed Friday afternoon in the South Deering neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
A chunk of falling concrete broke through the windshield of an SUV on Friday afternoon, injuring a driver on the Stevenson Expressway near the Archer Heights neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago.
A plumbing worker's windshield was damaged Friday afternoon when a chunk of snow or ice fell from a semi-truck in front of him as he was driving in Chicago's far northwestern suburbs.
Students and faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago have been on a mission for the last 15 years, helping to recover the remains of service members who went missing in action decades ago.
A Chicago woman battling ALS said she's been struggling just to get a disabled parking space in front of her Bridgeport home.
Days after new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach ordered an urgent review of the county's electronic monitoring program, Sheriff Tom Dart said this crisis isn't new, and that he's been warning lawmakers of problems for years.
Charles Beach was sworn in on Monday as Cook County's first new chief judge in 24 years, and takes over amid a political firestorm over what appears to be systemic issues with how accused criminals are being monitored before trial.
Some Chicagoans found out the hard way on Monday that the overnight winter parking ban is in effect.
The electronic monitoring system in Cook County has come under increased scrutiny, after a woman was set on fire in a horrific arson attack on the Blue Line, with critics demanding answers as to why the suspect wasn't already behind bars.
Sitting in 1st-place in the NFC standings isn't the only feel-good story for the Bears, as cornerback Nahshon Wright was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Month.
The Bulls dropped to 9-12 with their fifth loss in a row.
Braeden Bowman forced overtime for the Golden Knights when he put in his own rebound with 2:28 left in the third period.
Caleb Williams plans on picking up right where he left off the last time he faced the Packers.
The Bulls led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, holding the Magic without a field goal for the first five minutes of the period.
The special edition locket was inspired by the James Bond film "Octopussy," which revolves around a plot to steal a rare Faberge egg.
Authorities say the FBI has arrested a man suspected of placing pipe bombs outside RNC and DNC headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A woman from Chicago's northwest suburbs appeared in court Thursday for a shooting that killed another woman in the South Loop in September.
The man charged with pushing a CTA passenger onto the tracks at a Blue Line station in Chicago's western suburbs on Monday was ordered held in jail, after repeatedly interrupting the judge and prosecutors during his first court appearance on Wednesday.
A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to take a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of an immigrant rights group.
