SPRINGFIELD - Sharp increases in electric bills have Illinois customers pleading for relief and some state House and Senate lawmakers calling for a return to 2006 rates.

But, despite more than four months of talks, they remained at odds Thursday on how to do it.

"After six years, this is the worst thing I've ever had to deal with," said state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, whose Southern Illinois constituents have been hit hard by Ameren Corp.'s rate increases.

More than 16 hours of committee hearings over three days at the Capitol led members of a House panel on Thursday to approve the same rate relief plan they did months ago.

The measure, approved on a 6-0 vote, would freeze electric costs for customers of Ameren and ComEd at their 2006 levels for three years. It now heads to the full House for further debate.

Forby, meanwhile, has proposed a six-month freeze on rates for just Ameren customers.

Lawmakers didn't debate Forby's version Thursday, and it's unclear whether they'll ever get the chance. Senate President Emil Jones, who oversees what legislation gets to the floor of the Senate, doesn't support freezing rates.

But Jones isn't the only roadblock Forby faces.

State Rep. George Scully, who's sponsoring the House rate freeze, said Thursday that he doesn't back Forby's six-month, Ameren-only fix.

"I would not be supportive of a proposal that merely solves the problem of downstate Illinois," the Flossmoor Democrat said. "It's not feasible that things are going to change in six months."

Forby says he'll try to force the issue and that he's open to compromise, so long as it offers residents and small-business owners some relief from rates that have doubled and tripled in some instances.

"I'm flexible," he said.

Today, the Illinois Commerce Commission is planning to vote on whether its members want to probe the rate practices of ComEd and Ameren.

"I think there should be an investigation initiated," said Charles Box, Illinois Commerce Commission chairman.

He said an investigation could examine Ameren's recent move to take away steep discounts they once offered for homeowners who have all-electric houses.

"We're doing something in a more immediate fashion," Box said. "I'm sure they'll do something in the long term also, but we're going to take a look at this structure right away."

Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865.