Ameren checks expected in Sept.; ComEd in Oct.

SPRINGFIELD - Power bill refund checks for Ameren customers will be mailed in two weeks, but refunds for ComEd customers won't come until October, utility officials said Tuesday. Customers can expect to feel the effects soon of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's final approval Tuesday of a $1 billion settlement negotiated this year. ComEd spokeswoman Arlana Johnson said average customers for the northern Illinois utility will get a $57 credit to their October bill, and $7 each month after that. ComEd had originally planned to credit September bills, but Blagojevich's lengthy review of the final settlement pushed the schedule back. Ameren spokesman Shelley Epstein said almost all Ameren customers will get checks for a minimum of $85 in September. Most c