How far back Illinois utilities refund overcharges
Part 280: utility-error overcharges are refunded for the full period, as far as billing records allow (utilities keep them at least two years). Here is the rule behind it, what starts or limits the clock, and what it means for a business with a billing error in Illinois.
Illinois at a glance
| Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Rule | 220 ILCS 5/9-252, 9-252.1 and 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280 |
| How far back refunds go | Part 280: utility-error overcharges are refunded for the full period, as far as billing records allow (utilities keep them at least two years) |
| What starts or limits the clock | A billing-error complaint must be filed within two years of when the customer first knew of it; reparation complaints within two years of the service |
| Interest | Reparations carry interest at the legal rate |
| Regulator | Illinois utility commission |
What it means for a refund claim in Illinois
- Two clocks run in Illinois: the record-keeping minimum and the two-year complaint window.
- Filing promptly after an error is found protects the most history.
- Read the utility's tariff rules on billing and meter error too: tariffs often repeat or extend the commission rule.
- Municipal utilities and cooperatives usually set their own billing rules.
Discovery Energy reviews 36 to 48 months of history on every account and pursues the longest period each jurisdiction allows. See how overcharge recovery works, or compare Illinois with every other state.