ComEd's bribery and corruption cost its customers millions. We're calling for restitution, restored oversight, and reforms to ensure they can't do it again.
ComEd's bribery and corruption cost its customers millions. We're calling for restitution, restored oversight, and reforms to ensure they can't do it again.
Consumer Protection
Illinois PIRG and others go to work for utility reform
Illinois PIRG has joined AARP Illinois and the Environmental Law & Policy Center to form the Take Our Power Back coalition, which aims to win restitution, regulation and reform in the wake of the Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) corruption scandal. Since 2012, automatic utility rate hikes have produced record profits for ComEd while raising Illinoisans' electricity delivery rates by 37 percent.
Consumer Protection
Illinois enacts landmark bill to prevent predatory lending
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act into law — endorsed by Illinois PIRG and more than 50 consumer, labor, community and civil rights organizations — which will institute a 36 percent interest rate cap on consumer loans. Too often, payday loans trap borrowers in cycles of debt through excessive and predatory interest rates.
Consumer Protection
Exelon split is a good first step toward checking utility power in Illinois
Energy company Exelon's plans to separate its regulated utility business from its customer-facing power supply business will help curb the conflicts of interest that helped its subsidiary ComEd accumulate unchecked political influence in Springfield. But our state must do more to fully reform utility political power and its costly consequences for consumers.
Tell Whole Foods: Move Beyond Plastic
Whole Foods has led on plastics in the past, but the company recently got an "F" in a report by As You Sow for failing to tackle plastic pollution. Tell Whole Foods' CEO to get rid single-use plastics in its stores.
We can't do it without you.
Illinois PIRG is your advocate for the public interest, speaking out for healthier, safer, more secure lives for all of us.
News & Research
Blog Post
Why appliances aren’t built to last, and how the E.U. is changing that.
Blog Post
In the wake of the ComEd scandal, the Illinois General Assembly must enact meaningful utility accountability reforms - not only to address unethical behavior, but to also address the harmful utility policy legacy of the past decade. We were thrilled that the Consumer and Climate First Act includes our agenda’s key priorities.
Blog Post
A scorecard released by U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that many popular cosmetic brands score poorly on ingredient safety and disclosure. While companies and governments need to take action to protect consumers, in the meantime, you can take steps to keep your personal care routine safe.
News Release
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report today on manufacturers' use of restrictive repair tactics that have kept consumers from repairing their own products.
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.