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Electric bills set to jump for Ameren customers in Illinois this summer. Here’s how much

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Electric bills set to jump for Ameren customers in Illinois this summer. Here’s how much


Electric costs for Ameren Illinois customers across the state are likely to increase around 20% this summer.

The company said that depending on usage, the monthly bill for a typical customer could increase between 18% to 22% between June and September. That translates to somewhere in the range of $37.62 to $45.98 more on monthly bills, according to the Citizens Utility Board.

CUB said that the supply charge for customers could increase to 12 cents per kilowatt hour on June 1, a 50% increase from the current rate. Ameren said that the specific supply charge, also known as the “price to compare,” will be made public the week of May 26.

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On Friday, the state’s Plug In Illinois website listed the price to compare at 12.18 cents per kilowatt hour, in line with the estimates. Ameren’s current rate, charged October through May, is 8.2 cents per kilowatt hour.

Why are Ameren Illinois electric rates going up this summer?

The increase comes after Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s planning resource auction last month showed reduced capacity for electricity across the region.

Ameren said that it is required by the state of Illinois to secure its electric capacity from generators such as MISO and pass on the costs without markup.

The price for capacity makes up more than half of a typical energy bill, according to Ameren. The increase is slated to last for four months, with prices expected to drop in October when winter rates go into effect.

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CUB released a statement Thursday calling on Ameren to help customers struggling to pay their bills as a result of the price increase. It put the blame on MISO for introducing a new pricing methodology – the Reliability-Based Demand Curve – that it says compromised affordability during the last auction.

CUB said that Ameren does not profit off of the increase in prices for electricity – only on delivery-side rate hikes, which this is not. Both Ameren and CUB said that the price increase highlighted the need for further help to increase resource supply in Illinois.

“Balanced solutions, including transmission, energy storage, renewables, natural gas, nuclear, energy efficiency, and demand response, are needed to provide residents and businesses with affordable and reliable energy,” Ameren said in a statement.

CUB is currently supporting a pair of bills in the Illinois General Assembly – SB2473 and HB3779 – that would expand energy efficiency across the state and help programs that can reduce the demand on the electrical grid. Sarah Moskowitz, executive director for CUB, said that people should check on their friends, family and neighbors to make sure that they keep cool during the hot summer months.

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“High bills can be stressful, so we ask people across central and southern Illinois to check on neighbors, friends and family this summer to make sure nobody is taking risks by keeping their homes too hot,” Moskowitz said. “Long-term, this price spike just shows we’ve got to keep working for consumer protections for electric customers.”

Ameren recommends that customers explore options for flexible payment plans and other energy-saving incentives by logging on to amerenillinois.com/options.



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Illinois

Where to watch Iowa basketball vs. Illinois today: TV channel, time

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Where to watch Iowa basketball vs. Illinois today: TV channel, time


Iowa basketball (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) welcomes in No. 16 Illinois (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in a top-25 conference tilt.

The 19th-ranked Hawkeyes are looking to get the taste of a frustrating road loss at Minnesota out of their mouths. Iowa trailed by as many as 14, but rallied back to take the lead in the game’s final two minutes. The Golden Gophers hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and then watched as a series of potential game-tying Iowa threes wouldn’t drop in a final, frantic sequence from Williams Arena.

Illinois enters winners of four straight and six of their past seven. The Illini rolled past Rutgers on Thursday, 81-55.

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Watch Iowa vs. Illinois

Iowa owns a 57-24 all-time record against Illinois in Iowa City, though the Illini have owned the series of late. Illinois has won four straight over Iowa and nine of the past 10. That stretch of success from the Illini comes on the heels of a five-game Iowa win streak in the series from 2018-20.

As tipoff approaches, here’s how and when Hawkeye fans can watch Iowa basketball vs. Illinois:

How to watch Iowa basketball vs. Illinois

TV: Fox

Tipoff Time: 11 a.m.

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Iowa battles Illinois on Fox in its “Gold Out” game from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Jason Benetti (play-by-play) will be joined by Steve Smith (color).

How to stream Iowa basketball vs. Illinois

Hawkeye fans can stream Iowa basketball vs. Illinois with Fubo, which offers a free trial to first-time subscribers.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks



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Ex-husband charged in Tepe murders, held in Illinois jail

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Ex-husband charged in Tepe murders, held in Illinois jail


The ex-husband of a woman found shot to death with her current husband Dec. 30 in Columbus’ Weinland Park neighborhood has been charged with murder in the deaths.

Michael David McKee, 39, of Chicago, faces two counts of murder, according to Franklin County Municipal Court documents.

According to online court records, a warrant was issued Jan. 10 for McKee’s arrest. Winnebago County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office records indicate he was booked into jail there shortly before noon local time. He will remain there until authorities extradite him back to Franklin County.

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Winnebago County court records show McKee is scheduled for a hearing there on Jan. 12, likely an extradition hearing to begin the process of his return to Ohio.

Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, died Dec. 30, just after their five-year wedding anniversary, after being found shot inside their home on the 1400 block of North 4th Street in Weinland Park. The couple’s two young children, both under the age of 5, were found physically unhurt inside the home.

Columbus homicide detectives identified McKee through neighborhood video surveillance, police alleged in court documents. They tracked the suspect “to a vehicle which arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after.” They found the vehicle in Rockford, Illinois, and found evidence that McKee had the vehicle before and after the killings.

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Columbus police have not publicly identified a potential motive in the couple’s deaths.

In a statement released after McKee’s arrest, the Tepe family thanked Columbus police for their “tireless” work to find the suspect.

“Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken far too soon,” the Tepe family said. “We thank the community for the continued support, prayers and compassion shown throughout this tragedy. As the case proceeds, we trust the justice system to hold the person responsible fully accountable.

“Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind,” the statement said. “We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world.”

McKee and Monique married in 2015, according to Franklin County Domestic Court records. She filed for divorce in May 2017 with the formal divorce decree being issued about a month later. Court filings indicate the divorce was amicable. Monique did not share any children with McKee, whom the divorce filings identify as living in Virginia at the time.

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Around 9 a.m. on Dec. 30, coworkers of Spencer’s from the dentistry office where he worked in Athens called Columbus police after Spencer did not show up for work and no one could reach Spencer or Monique by phone.

An officer went to do a well-being check but went to a home on Summit Street instead of the Tepe home, according to Columbus police body camera video. About 40 minutes after that check, friends of the Tepes found them dead in their home.

Police have focused the investigation on the window of time between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Dec. 30, which is when they believe the couple was killed. On Jan. 5, detectives released video from a security camera showing a person walking in an alley near the Tepes’ home during that time frame, calling the person a “person of interest.”

That person is now believed to be McKee.

Medical licensure databases show McKee has active licenses in both Illinois and California. He is identified as working as a vascular surgeon in a practice in the Rockford area, the same area where his vehicle was found.

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McKee went to medical school at Ohio State University and has family in the Zanesville area, according to publicly available information.

A public visitation for the Tepes will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Schoedinger Northwest funeral home on Zollinger Road in Upper Arlington. An additional gathering for a celebration of life will occur from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at Due Amici in Columbus.

Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.



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Iconic Illinois House Featured in ‘Home Alone’ Set to Be Restored to ’90s Design, Project Manager Says

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Iconic Illinois House Featured in ‘Home Alone’ Set to Be Restored to ’90s Design, Project Manager Says


Home Alone fans were devastated when the house featured in the movie was recently put up for sale and the interiors didn’t match the ones seen in the 1990 classic. Now the property, which can be found in suburban Winnetka outside Chicago, is set to undergo another major renovation, this time transforming it back to […]



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