Financial Privacy & Security

A coalition of consumer, senior and public interest groups, came to Rockford Thursday to announce the “Don’t Get Shocked” citizen action campaign, a statewide, grassroots movement aimed at blocking a massive increase that will hit ComEd customers Jan.1 unless the legislature or the courts take action.

“ComEd would like us to believe that we have no choice but to throw up our hands and pay this outrageous increase,” CUB Executive Director David Kolata said. “But Illinois consumers are smarter than that. They know this increase is unfair and unnecessary and they aren’t going to stand for it.”

The coalition of groups called on Rockford consumers to contact their state legislators and urge support for the Electric Consumer Protection Act, HB5766, in the November veto session.

“Illinoisans want accountability and oversight on the electricity prices they are being charged,” said Illinois PIRG State Director Brian Imus. “With skyrocketing electricity bills coming soon, state lawmakers can no longer take a wait and see approach to this problem. It’s time the General Assembly took action to defend the interests of the public against unfair and out-of-control utility rates.”

The bill, introduced in the General Assembly earlier this year, would extend the current freeze on electric rates for another three years or until real competition for residential consumers develops. Passage of the bill would stall a 26 percent rate hike in store for ComEd customers as a result of the utility’s controversial “power auction.” That increase would add about $160 a year to the average ComEd customer’s electric bill.

HB 5766 has gained widespread support since the final rate hike amount was announced Sept. 15.

The action campaign will include:

• A statewide petition drive against the rate hike. Petitions will be delivered to Springfield lawmakers when they return to the Capitol for the fall session.
• An extensive e-mail campaign expected to reach more than 100,000 consumers in the next six weeks.
• Voter forums and town hall meetings across the state designed to educate consumers about the rate hike and what they can do to stop it.
• A Citizen Action Day that will bring consumers to the state Capitol to speak directly with their elected officials.

Consumers who want to take action against the electricity rate hike can visit www.citizensutilityboard.org or call 1-800-719-3020 to be put through to their state legislators.

The rate hike would come at a time when ComEd parent company Exelon is making record profits and those earnings would soar next year. Exelon stands to earn close to $2 billion a year in windfall profits because of the auction. Since passage of the 1997 restructuring law, which reduced and froze rates, the giant utility’s profits have quadrupled.

“Exelon is making record profits and will see its earnings soar next year, while consumers struggle to pay exorbitant rates,” Kolata added. “Extending the rate freeze will protect consumers from skyrocketing electric bills and still allow Exelon to make healthy returns. It makes sense and it’s the right thing to do.”

“When Illinois lawmakers deregulated the energy market, utility and energy companies promised more competition and lower electricity rates. Instead we’re getting just the opposite. Electricity bills are going to skyrocket and Illinoisans still don’t have a choice of where their energy comes from,” Imus said. “Now it’s time for state lawmakers to prevent the new pricing scheme that only benefits the utility companies.”

In addition to pushing for a an extension of the rate freeze, CUB has joined Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s appeal of the auction to the state Appellate Court, arguing it is illegal because it eliminates the commission’s authority to ensure that rates are “just and reasonable.”