Electricity Rate Increases Hitting Home, But Not Home Runs

By Matt Wood in News on Feb 26, 2007 12:58PM

People are hurting now that those electricity rate increases are hitting home, and not just from head injuries suffered from passing out after they opened January's bill. ComEd bills have jumped an average of 24%, but just be glad you don't live downstate, where some Ameren customers' bills have doubled or tripled. On Friday, a group of Democratic state representatives renewed the push to roll back the rate increases and reinstate a freeze for another three years. All 118 members of the Illinois house will meet in a rare "committee of the whole" session on Tuesday to hear testimony about the issue.

One customer that won't be complaining though is the Chicago Cubs organization. They signed a deal with Constellation New Energy, a Baltimore-based energy company, to supply the juice for Wrigley (but not The Juice, which left with Sammy Sosa). Constellation caters to businesses, providing some competition for ComEd's services that we average Joes only wish we had. The Cubs didn't comment to Crain's about the deal, but we bet it amounts to a nice savings; Wrigley Field can use as much power as 2,000 homes at its peak.

How bad have your electricity bills been since the rate increase? Chicagoist hates to say this after bitching and whining so much, but ours haven't been bad. Of course, we also installed compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout the house, and we write this blog on a computer powered by our 2-year-old running on a treadmill (pick it up son, Daddy's almost finished!). Has your ComEd bill increased enough to make you change your ways, like turning off the TV before you pass out atop an empty bag of Doritos on the couch? Or do you leave the freezer door wide open, not even bothering to take out the half-gallon of Edy's before sinking the serving spoon into it?