June 2026
Member Spotlight
In 2026, we will recognize one member each month, providing an organizational profile and highlighting the member's accomplishments in the smart energy space.
About the Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Founded in 1984, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is Illinois’ premier nonprofit consumer group serving residential and small-business utility customers. CUB has helped Illinois consumers save more than $20 billion over the years, advocating for pro-consumer policies at the state and federal levels and connecting everyday Illinoisans to programs that help them keep bills low. Offered in both English and Spanish, all of CUB’s educational services are free. They include an online library of money-saving publications, a toll-free Consumer Hotline and hundreds of in-person educational events throughout the state.
Statewide Outreach
A key part of CUB’s work involves meeting consumers where they are. Educational events are often held in partnership with libraries, municipalities, churches and community groups to ensure information reaches residents in trusted and familiar settings.
These free educational events – such as in-person workshops, online webinars and community fairs – help consumers better navigate their increasingly complex energy choices. Topics include money-saving energy efficiency and demand response programs, smart choices in the gas and electric markets, energy assistance programs, and how to take advantage of clean energy programs, such as rooftop and community solar.
CUB’s signature event is the “utility bill clinic,” in which CUB experts review customers' bills. “You helped me save money,” said one consumer after he attended a CUB utility bill clinic. “Keep up the good work.”
Consumer Advocacy and Education
As an additional resource for utility customers who can’t make it to their in-person events, CUB staffs a Consumer Hotline (1-800-669-5556) five days a week. This Hotline takes more than 1,000 calls a year from consumers with questions or concerns about their utility bills.
Each year, CUB’s hotline counselors save individual consumers hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. “CUB is a vital resource,” said one business owner, after CUB helped secure an $82,000 credit on his electric bill.
Digital Resources
CUB offers digital tools to complement its direct work with individuals. CitizensUtilityBoard.org features a comprehensive content library that puts complicated energy issues into easy-to-understand language. Social media livestreams explain breaking news, such as new power prices and the latest program developments.
CUB offers an online complaint form for those who can’t call the Hotline during business hours, and for those who can’t get to a utility-bill clinic, CUB allows consumers to request a remote utility-bill analysis in English or Spanish. “[The CUB] website has been invaluable to me,” said one English as a Second Language teacher who used CUB’s online information to educate her students about their energy choices.
The goal of CUB’s consumer program is to make often-complicated energy information accessible to everyday utility customers, including seniors, Spanish-speaking consumers and people living in low- and moderate-income communities, where energy burden can have an outsized impact on household finances. CUB wants consumers to feel informed and empowered rather than overwhelmed. “Thank you for your services,” wrote one consumer who described herself as a “mom struggling to make ends meet.”
