ComEd will refund $1 billion to Illinois customers battered by rising electricity rates. The average customer can expect savings of $7 per month, plus a $50 credit.
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It is a ripoff. ComEd used this as a "concession" so that the IL gov't wouldn't pass another rate freeze. Considering how much profit they're receiving from the rate hike, $1B is chump change.
Almost exact same usage as last year for me here in IL.
Bill for June 2006 was $109, bill for June 2007 was $268. Yes, that is a ripoff.
I went from $62 a month to about $138 from May to June 07. I'm sure this is chump change compared to what we should get but I could really use the $50 credit
Ameren in central/southern Illinois is also doing something similar. I'm not sure what ComEd got out of the agreement, but in exchange for passing along the rebate, Ameren managed to negotiate a pretty much unlimited delivery fee increase to be effective in a couple of months.
It makes me wonder how they managed to stay in business for the last ten years under the rate freeze if they need to charge so much more now.
In California I've been getting hit with the "tiered" charging that SCE has been doing. By the time they're done I'm paying almost double what the normal ripoff rate would be. Mind you I use around half of what most other folks use (fan power!). I know a family of 4 that had a bill exceeding $500 for MAY (=minimal ac use). Even with the astronomical cost of going solar, it will soon be worthwhile -- even if the panels don't come down in price.
Yeah... I'll let you know if/when I see that refund.
@Buran: huh?? Ameren just got away with raising rates despite a year of pure hell from their horrible mismanagement: failure of Taum Sauk and ensuing destruction and two extremely widespread power outages that resulted in many deaths. and then they have the balls to claim they can't trim trees. bullshit! right of way laws are there that have always allowed them to trim trees. they just haven't budgeted enough for the service. Ameren is run by the incompetent and greedy. a bad combo.
I live in St. Louis. The electricity ripoff in IL has been big news here.
$7 a month is a joke compared to what these people have been overcharged. There's some people whose bills went up 300% or more. You were lucky if it just doubled.
Glad I live in MO where Ameren can't pull that kind of crap.