The Short Version
- Your utility's default electric price is called the Price to Compare. A supplier offer has to beat it to save you money.
- Homes and small businesses have 10 days to cancel a new electric supply agreement, and electric suppliers can't charge them a fee to leave.
- Many Illinois towns buy power through opt-out municipal aggregation. You may already be in one.
- Natural gas is a separate choice, and utility gas prices change every month.
- The easiest way to get it right: let us compare offers for you. It's free.
Your Bill Has Two Parts
Delivery always stays with your utility: ComEd or Ameren Illinois for electricity, and your gas utility for natural gas. That covers the wires, pipes, meter, and outage repairs. Supply is the energy itself, and you can choose who provides it.
Switching suppliers doesn't change who delivers your energy or who you call in an outage.
Illinois Electric Price to Compare, October 2026 to May 2027
Residential prices, from Plug In Illinois, the Illinois Commerce Commission's electric choice program:
| Utility | Price to Compare (per kWh) | Good through |
|---|---|---|
| ComEd | 10.103¢ | May 31, 2027 |
| Ameren Illinois | 10.441¢ (first 800 kWh) | May 31, 2027 |
Source: Plug In Illinois (Illinois Commerce Commission), checked October 2, 2026. These non-summer prices run October 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027. Business accounts have different prices, so always check the one on your latest bill before comparing offers.
See the full details, what it means for your business, and how to beat it on each utility's page: ComEd, Ameren Illinois.
How much have these prices moved? Summer to summer, ComEd is up 53% and Ameren Illinois is up 44% since 2023. See the full utility price history.
No Fee to Leave an Electric Supplier
This is one of the strongest protections in the country. In Illinois, electric suppliers are prohibited from charging residential and small commercial customers an early termination fee when they switch to a different supplier or go back to their utility.
Your utility won't charge you a fee to come back either, but you may have to stay with the utility for at least 12 months. Know that before you leave a supplier mid-contract.
Natural Gas: Nicor, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, and Ameren
- Nicor Gas (Customer Select), Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas (Choices For You) let homes and small businesses buy gas from an alternative supplier.
- Ameren Illinois offers gas choice to small commercial customers.
- Utility gas prices move every month. Nicor Gas's own price changes monthly and is the same per therm for every customer. A fixed supplier price takes that swing off the table.
- Coming back to the utility has a catch. On Nicor Gas, if you leave a supplier and return to Nicor's supply, you have 120 days to choose another supplier or you stay with Nicor for a year.
The no-fee rule above is for electricity. For natural gas, check the contract's cancellation terms before you sign.
Are You in a Municipal Aggregation?
Many Illinois municipalities and counties buy electricity as a group for residents and eligible small businesses. In an opt-out program, voters approve it by referendum and eligible customers are enrolled automatically unless they return the opt-out notice. In an opt-in program, only those who sign up are included.
- How to tell: check the supplier name on your electric bill. If you never chose one, it may be your town's program.
- It isn't automatically your best price. Aggregations are priced for a whole community. A business can often do better with its own contract.
How to Compare an Offer
- Start with your Price to Compare, or your aggregation price. An offer only saves you money if its price is lower.
- Fixed or variable? A fixed rate stays the same for the whole term. A variable rate can change, sometimes after a low first month or two.
- How long is the term? Know exactly when the price ends.
- What happens when it ends? Many contracts move to a variable rate afterward. Put the end date on your calendar.
- Any monthly fees? A fixed monthly charge can erase the savings from a slightly lower rate.
- For gas, what does it cost to cancel? Know the amount before you sign.
Your Rights in Illinois
- 10 days to change your mind. Residential and small commercial customers in the ComEd and Ameren Illinois territories can rescind an agreement with an electric supplier within 10 days of the utility processing the enrollment.
- No early termination fee on electric supply for homes and small businesses, whether you switch suppliers or go back to the utility.
- Your delivery never changes. Your utility keeps delivering your electricity or gas no matter which supplier you choose.
Watch out for "your utility sent me." Door-to-door and phone sellers sometimes imply they're from ComEd, Ameren, or Nicor. Your utility doesn't sell supply contracts. Don't share your account number with anyone who knocks or calls uninvited, and never sign on the spot.
Why Let Us Shop for You
You can compare supplier offers on your own. Most people don't have time to read every contract, and the fine print is where the costly surprises hide. We already manage natural gas contracts for Illinois churches on Nicor Gas, so we know how these programs work. Here's what you get:
- Offers side by side for your electricity and your natural gas, compared against what you pay now.
- The fine print, read for you. We flag teaser rates, cancellation terms, and what happens when the contract ends.
- Someone watching your end date. We reach out before your contract ends, so you're never rolled onto a higher rate.
- Free to you. The supplier you choose pays us. If nothing beats what you pay now, we'll tell you.
Or skip the form: send us a photo of your bill.
For Larger Businesses
The fee ban and cancellation window above protect homes and small businesses. Larger accounts sign contracts with terms they negotiate, so a careful read matters more.
ComEd, in northern Illinois, is part of PJM, so demand-metered accounts carry a capacity charge set during the grid's busiest summer hours. See what happened to PJM capacity costs and how to reduce your capacity tag. Ameren Illinois is in MISO, a different grid market with its own capacity costs.
Free 10-minute checklist When does your energy contract end, and what will you pay the day after? Get the Energy Contract Checkup →FAQ
Will my power or gas go out if I switch?
No. ComEd, Ameren Illinois, or your gas utility still delivers your energy and handles outages. Only the supply price changes.
Where do I find my Price to Compare?
On your electric bill. The Illinois Commerce Commission's Plug In Illinois program also publishes the current ComEd and Ameren Illinois figures.
Can an electric supplier charge me to cancel?
Not if you're a home or small business. Suppliers are prohibited from charging residential and small commercial customers an early termination fee when they switch suppliers or go back to the utility.
Am I in a municipal aggregation?
Check the supplier name on your electric bill. If you never chose one, your city or county may have enrolled you through an opt-out aggregation program.
What if I go back to my utility for natural gas?
You may be required to choose a new supplier within 120 days, or to stay on the utility's gas supply for a year. On Nicor Gas, that's exactly how it works: 120 days to pick a supplier, otherwise one year with Nicor.