Illinois businesses have had the legal right to choose their own electricity supplier since 1997 — yet the majority are still on their utility's default rate, paying whatever the market dictates month to month. In 2026, with PJM capacity prices at near-record levels, that's a costly mistake.
This guide covers what commercial electricity rates look like in Illinois right now, how they're structured, and exactly how to find and lock in the best available rate for your business.
Your ComEd or Ameren bill is split into two main components:
This covers the physical infrastructure — the wires, poles, transformers, and meters that bring electricity to your building. You cannot shop this portion. It stays with ComEd or Ameren regardless of which supplier you choose. This is typically 40–55% of your total bill.
This is the cost of the actual electricity commodity — what your utility or a competitive supplier charges for the kilowatt-hours you consume. This is the portion you can source from any of 30+ licensed suppliers in the Illinois market. It's typically 45–60% of your total bill.
Key insight: When you switch suppliers, nothing changes physically. ComEd or Ameren still delivers your electricity and handles any outages. You simply pay a different company for the commodity portion of your bill — usually at a lower, fixed rate.
Commercial electricity rates in Illinois vary by utility territory, usage volume, contract length, and market conditions. Here's what businesses are seeing in early 2026:
| Business Type | Monthly Usage | Default Utility Rate | Competitive Rate | Est. Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Office / Retail | 5,000–20,000 kWh | ~9.8¢/kWh | ~7.8¢/kWh | ~20% |
| Mid-Size Commercial | 20,000–100,000 kWh | ~9.2¢/kWh | ~7.1¢/kWh | ~23% |
| Industrial / Manufacturing | 100,000+ kWh | ~8.8¢/kWh | ~6.6¢/kWh | ~25% |
| Multi-Site Aggregation | Multiple meters | Variable | Best aggregate bid | 22–32% |
Note: Rates are supply-only estimates based on early 2026 market conditions. Actual rates depend on load profile, contract term, credit, and real-time supplier bids. Contact us for a precise quote.
ComEd serves approximately 4 million customers in northern Illinois, including Chicago and its suburbs. ComEd is part of the PJM grid. The default supply rate resets quarterly and has been highly volatile since the 2024 capacity auction.
Ameren Illinois serves central and southern Illinois. Like ComEd, it's part of the PJM grid. Ameren's default rates have also increased significantly, though Ameren customers historically see slightly different pricing due to different load patterns and transmission costs.
Both territories have the same pool of licensed competitive suppliers available. A good broker will get competitive bids for both territories if your business operates across service areas.
You can contact suppliers directly — companies like Constellation, Nexus, Calpine, Spark Energy, and others. The problem is each supplier will only give you their own quote. You'd need to contact all 30+ suppliers individually, provide your usage data to each, and manually compare offers that come in different formats with different terms. This typically takes 2–4 weeks and requires energy market knowledge to evaluate properly.
An energy broker submits your load profile to all available suppliers simultaneously and returns a ranked comparison in a standardized format — usually within 24 hours. Since the broker is paid by the winning supplier (not by you), this is a completely free service. You get professional procurement expertise at no cost.
What to look for in an Illinois energy broker: Make sure they are licensed with the Illinois Commerce Commission, work with multiple suppliers (not just one or two), and explain their compensation structure upfront. Energy Deregulator is an independent broker with access to 30+ Illinois-licensed suppliers and charges zero fees to commercial clients.
Not every business gets the same rate. Suppliers price your account based on several factors:
Timing matters in energy procurement. Current market signals for 2026 suggest:
Use our savings calculator to estimate your potential savings, then request a full quote through our free analysis form.
Send us your ComEd or Ameren bill. Real bids from 30+ suppliers within 24 hours. $0 broker fee.
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