Yingling Highlights Utility Bill Relief During COVID-19 Pandemic

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. – With the COVID-19 pandemic causing financial hardship for residents, state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, is highlighting efforts to make utility bills more affordable throughout the public health crisis.

“As this pandemic continues to take an economic toll on families, finding ways to save has become more important than ever,” Yingling said. “High utility bills can cause undue stress on residents, which is why I applaud the various efforts being made to cut down on these costs and give families relief.”

During the pandemic, residents have multiple ways to save on utility bills. Throughout the stay-at-home order’s duration, all utility companies have suspended disconnections and late fees. ComEd has extended these suspensions through the end of June. In addition, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is offering virtual Utility Bill Clinics where residents can send in their utility bills and have a CUB specialist analyze them and identify hidden fees and unnecessary costs that can be cut. The application period for LIHEAP has been extended to June 30, which can help those under a certain income threshold with their energy bills.

Yingling has worked to provide utility bill relief for residents throughout his time in the General Assembly. He regularly partners with CUB to hold Utility Bill Clinics in the district, and also introduced legislation that would prohibit unregulated utility companies from misleading residents into buying unnecessary services by using logos of regulated utility companies.

“Finding ways to get relief to families has always been a top priority of mine,” Yingling continued. “I highly encourage residents to explore the various options they have to reduce their utility bills.”

For more information on the CUB virtual Utility Bill Clinics, please visit their website at https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2020/03/13/introducing-cubs-virtual-utility-bill-clinic/. For more information or to apply for LIHEAP, please visit https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/CommunityServices/UtilityBillAssistance/Pages/HowtoApply.aspx.