Illinois watchdog challenges Nicor’s record $316M gas rate hike

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is opposing Nicor’s proposed $316 million gas rate hike, the largest in Illinois history, which is set to be discussed at a public forum in Elgin on Thursday.

Nicor, Illinois’ largest gas utility, is seeking to increase gas rates by more than $316 million this year, which would result in a 9.3% or $92 annual increase in customer bills. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) will make a final decision on the proposal in November.

“You can call the ICC directly. We try to make it easy by creating this action page called CUB Action Center, and there again, you have the link to the petition, you have a link to go directly to the ICC website to file a public comment. So there are a lot of ways to let your voices be heard. And it is just so important that the Illinois Commerce Commission see that real people are impacted by these rate hikes,” said CUB’s Jim Chilsen.

The public forum will be held at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, Illinois, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. This event is designed to gather public input on the proposed rate hike.

CUB has expressed concerns about the delivery aspect of the price hike, noting that the amount Nicor is asking for would significantly increase bills.

This is the fifth rate-hike request from Nicor since 2017, during which time the utility has raised delivery rates by 114%, totaling $747 million.

Consumer advocates, including the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, AARP Illinois, and Illinois PIRG, argue that Nicor’s request is unjust and unreasonable, citing overcharges and excessive executive bonuses.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.