What Illinois Families Need to Know About NICOR’s Rejected Rate Increase

If paying for heating bills is the thing you dread most about winter in Illinois, I have some slightly good news for you.

Worst Things About Winter in Illinois

One of the things I enjoy most about living in Illinois is the changing of seasons. I love a good snowfall, blooming flowers, sunshiny beach days, and crisp autumn nights by a fire, but I loathe ice and freezing temperatures, high humidity, and the muddy mess of Spring.

The truth is, each one of Illinois' four seasons have its own pros and cons, but the one season that is more con than pro is winter. Extreme cold, snow and ice storms not only make things treacherous, but they make things expensive as well.

I have been bracing myself for months for the high heating bills ahead, but it looks like they might not be as bad as I assumed they would be this winter.

High Heating Bills in Illinois

For most Illinois residents, opening a NICOR bill during the winter is infuriating. Rates always seem to rise, and when you combine that with higher grocery costs, many Illinois families will be forced to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families. Thankfully, NICOR and ComEd have decided to begin their winter moratorium on shutoffs two weeks early this year.

Now that we've got that good news covered, here comes the part when I deliver some good/bad news.

NICOR Rate Increase Rejected in Illinois

A mystateline.com article says; "the Illinois Commerce Commission rejected NICOR’s request for the largest rate hike in its history today (11/19), significantly reducing the proposed increase".

That sounds good, right? Not really. Here's why:

NICOR Gas initially sought a $314 million increase, which would have raised gas bills by $7. However, the commission’s decision cut the request by nearly 47 percent to $168 million, resulting in an estimated $4 increase in gas bills.

So, our gas bills will be higher this winter in Illinois, but...they could have been way worse. How wonderful.

If you need help paying your energy bills in Rockford this winter, you can apply for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) now, here.