Lt. Gov. Quinn lauds 25th anniversary of Citizens Utility Board referendum, joins CUB in sponsoring free �phone bill clinic� in Gurnee
CHICAGO - On Thursday, March 27, at 10:30 a.m., Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will join Citizens Utility Board executive director Dave Kolata in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the referendum that sparked creation of CUB - a strong, effective statewide membership organization that has successfully advocated for safe, reliable and affordable utility service.
To mark the occasion, Quinn and Kolata will hold a news conference in the 15th floor Blue Room in the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, to urge consumers to attend a free "phone bill clinic" on Saturday, March 29th at the Gurnee Mills Mall. At the clinic, consumers will receive expert, individualized advice on how to save hundreds of dollars a year - while still staying in touch with far-flung friends and family.
"Twenty-five years ago, on April 12, 1983, voters in 114 Illinois communities passed an advisory referendum, letting their elected officials know that everyday consumers deserve a non-partisan, non-profit organization working on their behalf against the powerful, well-funded utility companies," said Quinn, who spearheaded the referendum effort. "That historic referendum led the General Assembly to create the Citizens Utility Board. CUB has since saved consumers more than $10 billion by blocking rate hikes and winning refunds for ratepayers."
This year, CUB is continuing its legacy of effective consumer protection through a series of phone bill clinics, co-sponsored by the Office of the Lt. Governor, to help people throughout Illinois save money on their telephone service. So far, nearly 300 consumers in Rock Island, Rockford, Peoria, Collinsville and Champaign have attended the clinics - and have succeeded in slicing an average of $240 from their annual phone bills.
"Consumers throughout the Land of Lincoln have braved blizzards and floods to attend these clinics, and their efforts have been rewarded by substantial savings," Quinn said.
The phone bill clinic will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 in the Show Court in front of JCPenney, near entrance G at Gurnee Mills Mall, 6170 Grand Ave. in Gurnee. Consumers should bring along a recent phone bill for individualized cost-cutting analysis.
"If you're paying more than $25 a month for phone service, you probably can save money by changing your plan," Kolata said. "CUB has found that 85 percent of Illinois consumers who talk to our counselors can trim their phone bills without any noticeable decline in service."
"These clinics offer consumers a chance to meet one-on-one with experts who can analyze their bills and suggest easy, practical ways to save hundreds of dollars a year," Quinn said. "CUB also offers this convenient phone bill analysis through a telephone hotline or via e-mail, so everyone can have this opportunity to save."
Consumers often complain that they can't get reliable information from their phone service providers, which often tout expensive services instead of offering cost-saving advice.
At the phone bill clinics, however, consumers are getting helpful tips, including news about the new CUB-designed Consumer's Choice local-calling plans, offered by AT&T under a legal settlement. Unlike AT&T's other plans, the Consumer's Choice calling plans are designed to save consumers money instead of maximizing company profits.
The clinics also explain how to find Illinois' best long-distance calling plans, and how to get an automatic $20 credit negotiated by CUB.
Consumers interested in a free phone bill analysis from CUB can call 1-866-688-4282, send an e-mail to [email protected] or mail a copy of a recent phone bill to The Phone Savings Center, c/o Citizens Utility Board, 208 S. LaSalle St. Suite 1760, Chicago, IL 60604.
For more information on CUB, please visit www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org. For more information on the Lt. Governor's consumer advocacy initiatives and other issues, please visit www.StandingUpForIllinois.org.