SPRINGFIELD — After raiding $165 million from a fund designed to help senior citizens and the disabled avoid utility shut offs, the State of Illinois will get a pass on the utilities to its buildings and facilities, despite owing millions in overdue utility bills to numerous providers.

While the City of Vienna has shut off water to the State Highway Department in Vienna due to budget lack of payment, other utility providers have indicated they have no intention of following suit.

The State does not pay late fees or interest on utility bills and utility providers will simply have to write those off those losses.
However, according to Ameren, Nicor, Peoples Gas/North Shore Gas, and the City of Springfield, not only will the State not face fees or interest on utility bills that are months and millions of dollars behind, unlike the seniors and disabled who will not receive utility assistance this year, the State will not face disconnection.