MEDIA ADVISORY: AARP Press Conference

CHICAGO, April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

WHO: Ald. George Cardenas, Chicago residents struggling with utility bills and representatives from AARP Illinois, Illinois PIRG and CUB band together to bring much-needed attention to city-wide crisis for utility customers

WHAT: Press conference in advance of City Council hearing on soaring home-heating costs

WHEN: Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 9:30 am.

WHERE: City Hall, second floor atrium

Ald. George Cardenas and representatives from AARP Illinois, Illinois PIRG and the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) will urge the City Council to show support for a bill before the Illinois General Assembly to rein in the out-of-control spending by Peoples Gas in its controversial pipeline-replacement program, the "System Modernization Plan" (SMP). Consumer advocates fear that the SMP could double gas bills in years to come, and be especially painful for seniors and people on a fixed income.

Cardenas, the chair of the Health & Environmental Protection committee, has pushed for months to hold a hearing on the problem, after published reports showed that Peoples Gas customers on average paid 80 percent more than suburban Nicor Gas customers to heat their homes in the winter of 2017-2018.

In October, the committee voted to hold the hearing, in which Chicago residents struggling with utility bills, representatives from AARP Illinois, CUB and Illinois PIRG will testify about the hardships experienced as a result of the soaring Peoples Gas costs.

Please attend and help spread the word about this critical issue impacting Chicago residents.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the lives of those 50+  with 250,000 members in Chicago and 1.7 million members in the state. . Learn more at http://states.aarp.org/region/illinois/.

Illinois PIRG is a consumer group that stands up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. Learn more at www.illinoispirg.org.

CUB is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog organization. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers.. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline at 1-800-669-5556 or visit www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org. 

SOURCE AARP Illinois