Shopping for electricity in Illinois: the official tool, the private sites, and the split that changes everything

The official site vs. the private marketplaces

Our rule, since we take no commissions from anyone: browse wherever you like, but the decision comparison happens on plugin.illinois.gov, against your utility's default rate, with our worth-it line as the bar.

How to use Plug In Illinois: 4 steps

1. 1

   Go to plugin.illinois.gov and select your utility

   The ICC's site organizes offers by utility territory — ComEd or Ameren Illinois. If you're not sure which serves your address, it's the company name on your electric bill.

2. 2

   Note your utility's current default supply rate — the only fair benchmark

   ComEd's Price to Compare (~10.4¢, resets periodically) or Ameren's BGS (~9.7¢). If you've never switched, you're paying this rate. If you have switched, find your current ARES rate on your bill and compare it to today's default — you may be paying above it without knowing.

3. 3

   Filter for fixed-rate offers and check three things

   Rate type (fixed, not variable — variable can float above the default mid-contract), monthly fees (a $4.99/month fee adds ~0.67¢/kWh at 750 kWh — often the whole advertised advantage), and cancellation fees. The clean offer: fixed, 12+ months, zero fees.

4. 4

   Apply the worth-it line before committing

   For a switch to save $10/month at 750 kWh, the offer must beat your default by about 1.33¢/kWh. Because both Illinois defaults are moderate (10.4–11.3¢ summer 2026), the bar is clearable but tight here — which is the honest reason many Illinois households are better off staying on the default. Run your own numbers before signing anything.

How to spot a bad supplier pitch in Illinois

Illinois has one of the highest rates of electricity supplier complaints in the US. Common patterns:

• ⚠

  Using PJM headlines to scare Ameren customers

  Ameren is in MISO. If a salesperson says 'PJM just spiked and your Ameren bill is about to explode,' they're either uninformed or deliberately misleading you.

• ⚠

  Looking official without being official

  Only plugin.illinois.gov is the state's site. Commercial comparison sites, mailers with state-seal look-alikes, and 'your utility sent us' door pitches are marketing.

• ⚠

  Introductory or teaser rates

  An offer that starts at 7¢ for 2 months, then rolls to a variable rate, is not a bargain — it's a loss leader. Supply portions doubling after teasers expire is well documented in complaint records.

• ⚠

  Day-only urgency

  'This rate is only available today.' Legitimate offers don't expire at sunset. Urgency is the tell.

Frequently asked questions

What is Illinois's official electricity comparison site?

Plug In Illinois, at plugin.illinois.gov — owned and operated by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), the state's utility regulator, since Illinois deregulated in 1997. It lists licensed Alternative Retail Electric Supplier (ARES) offers alongside ComEd's and Ameren Illinois's default supply rates, charges nothing, and earns nothing from your choice. If you compare supplier offers anywhere, start there.

Is ILEnergyRatings.com the official Illinois comparison site?

No. ILEnergyRatings.com is a privately operated commercial comparison marketplace — it is not run by the Illinois Commerce Commission or any state agency. Private comparison sites typically feature suppliers they have commercial relationships with, which means the offers shown may be a subset of the market. That doesn't make them illegitimate, but it makes them different: the ICC's Plug In Illinois (plugin.illinois.gov) is the neutral, no-commission baseline every offer should be checked against.

What's the difference between Plug In Illinois and private comparison sites?

Three things: (1) Operator — Plug In Illinois is run by the state regulator; private sites are businesses. (2) Incentives — the ICC earns nothing from your choice; private marketplaces generally earn referral fees from featured suppliers. (3) Coverage — the official site's purpose is listing the market; a private site's purpose is converting you to a partner supplier. Our rule: it's fine to browse anywhere, but verify any offer against the default rate on plugin.illinois.gov before signing.

What is Illinois's electricity rate for 2026?

Illinois has two major electric utilities with different rates and different grid memberships. ComEd (northern IL, PJM grid) has a Price to Compare of approximately 10.399¢/kWh (summer 2026). Ameren Illinois (central/southern IL, MISO grid) has a Price to Compare of 11.326¢/kWh for the first 800 kWh (summer 2026). These are supply-only rates — delivery charges are additional. Verify current rates at plugin.illinois.gov or your utility's website.

Can I switch electricity suppliers in Illinois?

Yes — Illinois is fully deregulated. Both ComEd and Ameren Illinois customers can choose a licensed Alternative Retail Electric Supplier (ARES) for the supply portion of their bill. Your utility continues to handle delivery, outage response, and billing. Compare offers on the ICC's Plug In Illinois (plugin.illinois.gov) and check any supplier's license status with the ICC before signing anything.

Why did ComEd rates go up so much?

ComEd is in the PJM grid, and its supply costs are set by PJM's markets. The PJM capacity auctions cleared at record levels three years running — $269.92/MW-day in July 2024 (roughly 9× the prior year), an all-time high of $333.44 in December 2025, and $325 in July 2026, the third consecutive auction at the FERC price cap. Those costs flowed into ComEd supply rates starting June 2025, adding approximately $10.60/month to a typical residential bill. ComEd passes supply costs through with no markup.

Why didn't Ameren Illinois rates go up as much as ComEd?

Ameren Illinois is in the MISO grid — not PJM. MISO and PJM are separate regional grid operators with separate capacity markets and separate auction results. The PJM capacity spike that drove ComEd's supply increase does not directly hit Ameren Illinois customers. This is the most misunderstood distinction in Illinois electricity — if an ARES salesperson tells an Ameren customer that 'PJM is about to spike your bill,' that's inaccurate and a red flag. (Ameren's own summer 2026 PTC, 11.326¢ for the first 800 kWh, is set by MISO-area costs and its own procurement — currently slightly above ComEd's, for different reasons.)

What are ComEd's off-peak hours?

ComEd's standard Price to Compare is a flat rate — no built-in off-peak discount. However, ComEd offers an opt-in Hourly Pricing program (Rider PRISM) through hourlypricing.comed.com, where customers pay the actual real-time wholesale price each hour. Off-peak wholesale prices can drop below 3¢/kWh on mild overnight periods. It benefits customers who can shift EV charging and major appliances to overnight hours.

How do I know if an Illinois electricity supplier is legitimate?

Check two places: the ICC's licensed-supplier information via Plug In Illinois (plugin.illinois.gov), and the supplier's complaint history. Red flags: door-to-door sales with day-only urgency, offers that won't state the rate in writing, variable-rate offers framed as 'introductory' pricing, claims of being 'from ComEd/Ameren' or 'from the state,' and PJM scare pitches aimed at Ameren customers (Ameren is in MISO). When in doubt, stay on the default rate — it requires nothing and you can shop later.

Illinois utility pages on RateWatchdog