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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
National
Mitchell Armentrout

New discount rate system a ‘game changer’ for Chicagoans struggling with heating bills, advocates say

Peoples Gas Chicago Abe Scarr Ashlee Rezin SunTimes
Naomi Davis is founder of the environmental and social justice group Blacks in Green, which has championed a system to prevent utility shut-offs in low-income neighborhoods for years. (Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times)

After persuading state regulators to slash requested rate hikes sought by natural gas companies in Illinois, consumer advocates and environmental justice activists are hailing a new discount rate system that’s expected to help prevent more utility shut-offs in lower-income neighborhoods across Chicago.

The Illinois Commerce Commission on Nov. 16 ordered Peoples Gas and other utilities to implement the tiered discount rate system — the second of its kind to be introduced in the nation— by October 2024, promising to expand the pool of Chicagoans eligible for help with their heating bills.

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