IL State Rep. Du Buclet Highlights No More Utility Bill Rip-Offs Customer Protection Act, Bill Assigned to Committee

CHICAGO — On Wednesday at the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) headquarters in Chicago, state Rep. Kimberly Neely Du Buclet, D-Chicago, presented a consumer protection proposal alongside consumer advocates focused on ending the shady practices used by alternative energy suppliers and ensuring Illinois’ ratepayers are able to make the best decisions for their households in a more transparent and accountable energy marketplace.

Alternative energy suppliers are companies that create energy but do not own the infrastructure used to deliver that energy. Standard suppliers, such as ComEd and People’s Gas, own the infrastructure and produce the energy. In Illinois’ deregulated energy market, around 150 alternative gas and electric suppliers are in operation. Research from CUB shows that customers using alternative suppliers have lost around $2 billion over the last decade.

As the affordability crisis continues to worsen and warmer weather approaches, Rep. Du Buclet is taking immediate action to prevent these companies from exploiting ratepayers, many of whom are seniors living on a fixed income, with their cadres of door-to-door sales representatives who often lock unsuspecting consumers into bad deals under the promise of lower monthly bills. These promises often never materialize, with many who switched reporting that their monthly payments doubled or tripled after changing companies.

“Too many Illinois families are being taken advantage of just to keep the lights on and their homes warm,” said Rep. Du Buclet. “For years, consumers have been steered into confusing energy contracts that quietly drive up bills month after month, often without clear disclosure or meaningful consent. HB 4313 draws a clear line: no more rip-offs, no more predatory pricing and no more fine print that hurts working people.”

Rep. Du Buclet is sponsoring House Bill 4313, which creates the No More Utility Bill Rip-Offs Customer Protection Act to protect consumers from price gouging, nonconsensual rate increases and predatory, high-pressure sales tactics.

Rep. Du Buclet’s measure will protect ratepayers throughout Illinois with the following reforms:

• Capping alternative supplier rates at 25 percent above the standard supplier’s rate
  • Requiring a customer signature before contracts automatically renew if the rate increases
  • Prohibiting commission-based compensation for sales representatives to discourage slamming and other deceptive practices
  • Requiring alternative suppliers to provide more data to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) for increased industry transparency and oversight

“This legislation strengthens consumer protections by requiring transparency, accountability and enforceable standards so families know exactly what they are signing up for and what they are paying,” said Rep. Du Buclet. “It puts affordability first and ensures that energy choice never comes at the expense of fairness, trust or basic consumer rights. This legislation is about protecting families, seniors and fixed-income households from being exploited simply because they need heat and electricity.”

House Bill 4313 was introduced in January and assigned to the Public Affairs Committee in late February.

​