Groups protest People’s Gas rate hike after energy giant posts record profits

CHICAGO - Groups are protesting a record rate hike by People's Gas Monday after the company posted the record profits.

After five straight years of record profits, People's Gas is pushing the biggest rate hike in Illinois history.

The $400 million increase would raise bills by more than $140 per year.

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One in five People's Gas customers are in debt to the utility, and this will only make the home heating affordability crisis worse.

"It is unfortunate and dangerous that this group -- with a bias against natural gas -- is playing politics with Chicago’s energy future," a spokesman for People’s Gas said in a statement.

"Here are the facts: the work our crew members do everyday is absolutely vital to keeping Chicago’s heating system safe and reliable. The pipes beneath Chicago’s streets date back to the 1800s. They need to be modernized. Failure to invest in infrastructure leads to what happened in Texas two years ago during a winter storm: no heat, and more than 240 people died."