The Illinois Citizens Utility Board will be challenging Ameren-Illinois again in the coming months over the utility’s proposed natural gas rate hike.
Ameren Illinois filed for a $134.4 million gas rate hike on January 8th with the Illinois Commerce Commision. The proposed hike would increase the customer charge by about 24 percent, to $25.16 per month, and the per-therm distribution charge by about 28 percent to approximately 56 cents per therm.
Ameren has received more than $111 million in gas rate hikes in less than five years. CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said in a press release that the organization is urging the ICC to reduce the utility’s spending and deny the request. She has also asked the ICC to weigh a future in which the country is moving towards energy alternatives and cleaner energy sources. She said the rate hikes over the last 5 years have pushed more of the state’s families into financial crisis while the utility’s profit margins continue to grow.
CUB urges the public to file comments on the ICC docket. The deadline for action on a decision is December 1, 2025.
UPDATE 9:30AM Wednesday, January 29th: Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Energy Supply for Ameren-Illinois Matt Tomc has provided this statement in response to CUB’s criticism of the requested gas rate hike: “Many Americans are facing challenging times, and no one wants to see rising energy bills. As the recent cold snap illustrates, the safety and vitality of our communities depends on our ability to deliver natural gas on the coldest of days without interruption. Our plan requests the resources we will need to upgrade and maintain our critical energy infrastructure.”