Chitownproperty

After months of warnings that energy bills this winter will skyrocket, make puppies cry, and eat your children, People’s Gas has agreed to refund $100 million to customers in Chicago and the North Shore. The settlement is the result of People’s shady dealings with Enron in 1999. The company is not supposed to profit from selling natural gas, but in just 18 months after the deal People’s and Enron split a $23 million profit from their joint venture.

$100 million sounds like a pretty big number, but it only translates into $50 per person this year and another $50 next year. Anything helps though. This December’s average gas bill was $360, 50 percent higher than 2004. Any horror stories out there? What’s been your highest bill?