Illinois electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Illinois is 23.85 cents per kilowatt-hour, 29.3% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 12th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +28.4% from 18.58¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +29.3% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #12 of 51 · #40 cheapest
- Supply market
- PJM / MISO Retail choice statewide
Why Illinois pays what it pays
Illinois has the largest nuclear fleet of any state and on generation fundamentals should be inexpensive. The increase visible in the data comes from somewhere else entirely: the capacity charge.
Northern Illinois sits in PJM. PJM's capacity auction for the 2025/2026 delivery year cleared at a record price after a rule change and a tightening reserve margin, and northern Illinois cleared even higher than the rest of the market because it was treated as a separate constrained zone. ComEd passes capacity costs through to supply-service customers, so the increase arrived as a single visible step rather than being spread over years.
Downstate Illinois, in MISO, did not experience the same shock. It is another case where a state average hides two very different markets.
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act also placed carbon-mitigation credits for the state's nuclear plants on ratepayers, though that cost is small next to the capacity move.
How Illinois compares
Illinois ranks #12 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 40th cheapest. Within the East North Central division, every other state is cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 18.15 | +7.4% | #20 |
| Ohio | 19.52 | +14.2% | #18 |
| Wisconsin | 19.74 | +4.2% | #17 |
| Michigan | 22.01 | +8.8% | #14 |
| Illinois | 23.85 | +28.4% | #12 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What a bill looks like at this rate
The figures below apply the May 2026 Illinois average to four usage levels. They are arithmetic, not quotes. A real bill also carries fixed customer charges, taxes and any rider specific to your utility.
Estimate your Illinois bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Who sells electricity in Illinois
Commonwealth Edison, an Exelon company, serves Chicago and northern Illinois. Ameren Illinois covers most of the centre and south. Both are delivery-only, since generation was divested during restructuring.
Illinois has full retail choice and a well-established municipal aggregation market. The Illinois Commerce Commission runs Plug In Illinois, the state's official supplier comparison site.
What you can actually do about it
Illinois publishes the supply price ComEd and Ameren will charge before it takes effect, which makes it one of the easier states to shop deliberately rather than reactively.
Be careful with the capacity component when comparing offers. Some competitive supplier contracts quote an energy price and pass capacity through separately, which makes a headline number look better than the bill will be. Ask whether capacity is included in the quoted rate.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Illinois, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Illinois electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Illinois?
The average residential electricity rate in Illinois is 23.85 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +29.3% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is a typical monthly electric bill in Illinois?
At the May 2026 average rate of 23.85¢/kWh, a household using 900 kWh a month would pay about $215, and one using 1,500 kWh about $358. Actual bills vary with usage, rate schedule, fixed customer charges and taxes.
Have electricity rates in Illinois gone up?
Illinois rates rose 28.4% over the year to May 2026, from 18.58¢ in May 2025 to 23.85¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Illinois?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Illinois can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.
Where does this Illinois rate figure come from?
It is the residential-sector average revenue per kilowatt-hour reported by utilities to the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861M and published in the Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A. It blends supply and delivery across every residential customer in the state, so it is a statewide average rather than a quote for any individual household.