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.
The game was tied at 1 before Thompson scored from the low slot 13 minutes into the second after stealing the puck from Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier.
The star of the film and members of the Jackson 5 all walked the red carpet of the special screening on Monday night.
Some of the water guns carried by the students can be mistaken for the real deal, and that's exactly what happened over the weekend.
Kyle Schwarber homered twice and drove in three runs, Cristopher Sánchez pitched six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 13-7.
Some parents in southwest suburban Oswego are fired up, saying the school district invited all non-white students to participate in summer remedial programming, regardless of how they're doing in school.
The back and forth between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV continues to make waves, as the president has lashed out at the pope's criticism of his administration.
After a one-month delay, the City Council is moving forward with plans to increase taxi fares in Chicago for the first time since 2016.
The image was deleted from President Trump's Truth Social account, but the president said it depicted him as a "doctor, making people better."
A federal judge in Miami handed President Trump a defeat in his defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a story about a birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein.
Lawmakers are returning to Washington to face major developments in the war with Iran, a lingering DHS shutdown and possible expulsion votes for some of their own members.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
Allergy season is here, and the dreaded pollen can trigger sneezing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
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 restaurant has joined the busy stretch of Halsted Street toward the south end of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood that is also home to Alinea and Boka.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
The owners of the popular Uncommon Ground restaurant, live music venue, and brewery in Chicago's Wrigleyville community announced this week that they're looking for a successor to take over the business.
Chicago consistently ranks in the top three cities in Fortune 500 company headquarters, and now a competition has been launched to build on Chicago's power in business.
The flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community will be moving later this year, a restaurant representative said Tuesday.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
Afrika Bambaataa, a rapper and producer, was best known for breakthrough tracks like 1982's "Planet Rock" and for founding the Universal Zulu Nation art collective.
Mozart's "Don Giovanni," the local premiere of the 2022 opera "Omar," and a fresh production of "Guys and Dolls" are among the highlights of the 2026-2027 season for Chicago's Lyric Opera.
Federal magistrate Renee Harris Toliver told Pooh Sheisty that the evidence against him is strong.
A major music festival featuring the rapper formerly known as Kanye West was canceled after the U.K. government blocked Ye from entering the country.
The Wall Street Journal reports the new drinks include a dirty Dr. Pepper and a mango-pineapple refresher. Energy drinks are slated for later this year.
The company said the chemicals were previously used in some water-repellent clothing items, but it phased out their use back in 2023.
This comes as the airline plans to end service at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
Chicago comes in at No. 9 on the list. The No. 1 accent was Southern, and Louisiana rounds out the list at No. 10.
The crew honored a 2-year-old child named Cruz with a heartfelt preflight announcement during his final flight home from receiving cancer treatments. He was officially declared cancer-free in March.
Some of the water guns carried by the students can be mistaken for the real deal, and that's exactly what happened over the weekend.
The back and forth between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV continues to make waves, as the president has lashed out at the pope's criticism of his administration.
The star of the film and members of the Jackson 5 all walked the red carpet of the special screening on Monday night.
Some parents in southwest suburban Oswego are fired up, saying the school district invited all non-white students to participate in summer remedial programming, regardless of how they're doing in school.
Kyle Schwarber homered twice and drove in three runs, Cristopher Sánchez pitched six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 13-7.
Some parents in southwest suburban Oswego are fired up, saying the school district invited all non-white students to participate in summer remedial programming, regardless of how they're doing in school.
New proposed Illinois legislation would allow renters or people who can't install massive rooftop panels to also harness the power of the sun.
When a rusty light pole snapped and fell on a woman's car in Bucktown, causing thousands of dollars in damage, she thought the city would pay for it. She was wrong.
Financial exploitation is the leading type of elder abuse in Illinois. One Streamwood woman learned that personally, when her brother took hundreds of thousands of dollars from their parents' financial accounts.
One year after a teenage girl was shot outside her home in Country Club Hills, Illinois, and was told she would never walk again, she continued to defy the odds and reclaim her independence.
The game was tied at 1 before Thompson scored from the low slot 13 minutes into the second after stealing the puck from Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier.
Kyle Schwarber homered twice and drove in three runs, Cristopher Sánchez pitched six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 13-7.
After adding some veterans over the weekend, the Chicago Sky will add a few more pieces from the college ranks in Monday night's WNBA Draft.
The Chicago White Sox have sent infielder Lenyn Sosa to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league outfielder Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
The Wildcats are led by another record-setting superstar, hoping to lead them back to the top.
Two police officers were injured over the weekend while arresting a man in a domestic disturbance in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park.
Burglars struck a restaurant in the South Loop overnight Sunday night into Monday, forcing the restaurant to close for the day.
Dominic Frimpong was killed after the team's bus was attacked by a group of suspected armed robbers, officials said Monday.
Prosecutors said the victim of a deadly shooting in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood back in January was the new boyfriend of the alleged shooter's ex-girlfriend.
A man was killed this weekend in a shooting in the south Chicago suburb of Oak Forest.
