Senator Seth Lewis announces utility credits and community initiatives for Illinois residents
Senator Seth Lewis recently hosted a utility bill clinic in Wheaton, where energy efficiency experts from the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) provided local residents with advice on reducing their energy and gas bills. Lewis expressed gratitude to the CUB team for their assistance, stating, "A special thank you goes out to the experts from CUB, who helped several individuals find efficiencies. Many guests left with big smiles, and I will most certainly bring this team back to the 24th District in 2026 for another CUB event."
In addition to the clinic, Lewis announced that over $803 million will be returned to ComEd customers as a result of legislation passed in 2021. This law requires nuclear plants to return funds to customers when energy prices are high. According to Lewis, "ComEd residential and commercial customers can expect to benefit from these funds in the form of bill credits, with the average residential customer expected to receive approximately $13 a month, depending on usage, over the first five months of 2026." The Carbon Mitigation Credit (CMC) program was established by this legislation and is designed to support carbon-free nuclear generation facilities while adjusting customer bills based on market prices through 2027.
As part of upcoming events for Illinois communities, the Illinois Municipal League (IML) has launched its America250 Time Capsule Project. This initiative invites municipalities across Illinois to submit items representing their communities for inclusion in a time capsule that will be buried at IML's Springfield office and opened in 2076. The deadline for submissions is December 31.
Lewis also joined St. Francis High School in Wheaton in celebrating their victory at the 2025 IHSA Class 5A State Football Championship. He presented an official Senate recognition certificate and invited the team and coaches for formal recognition at the state capital.
With holiday shopping underway, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is advising residents to take precautions against online fraud and identity theft. Recommendations include shopping with trusted retailers, using credit cards instead of debit cards, ensuring websites are secure, using strong passwords with multifactor authentication, avoiding public Wi-Fi during transactions, monitoring financial accounts regularly, protecting personal information, and being cautious about delivery scams.
The FAFSA portal for federal student aid applications for the 2026-27 academic year is now open. Improvements have made the process faster and more user-friendly. All students seeking financial aid are encouraged to complete and submit their forms promptly.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), along with fire safety partners, is reminding Illinoisans about holiday fire risks. According to national statistics cited by OSFM, more than one-third of home decoration fires involve candles or decorations placed too close to heat sources. OSFM recommends flame-resistant decorations; keeping candles away from flammable materials; supervising children and pets around candles; checking light strands for damage; turning off decorations before leaving home or sleeping; maintaining water levels in real Christmas trees; and keeping trees away from heat sources.
OSFM's annual Keep the Wreath Red Campaign runs through early January at locations in Springfield and Chicago as well as at Quinn Fire Academy. The campaign raises awareness by changing wreath bulbs from red to white when a fire-related death occurs.
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards recognizing outstanding community volunteers across several categories including seniors, adults, youth volunteers, AmeriCorps Seniors Members, and AmeriCorps Members. Nominations must be submitted by January 1.
Lewis was elected as a Republican state senator representing Illinois’ 24th Senate District in 2023 after succeeding Suzy Glowiak.