Side by side (IL, EIA-861)
| Metric | Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) | Ameren Illinois Company |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 average price, ¢/kWh | 15.22 | 15.26 |
| 2023 average price, ¢/kWh | 14.78 | 17.04 |
| Annual cost at 10,800 kWh, $/yr | $1,643 | $1,648 |
| Residential customers (2024) | 2,922,223 | 520,498 |
| Ownership | Investor-owned | Investor-owned |
| Counties served in IL | 24 | 81 |
Average price = residential revenue ÷ sales (bundled service): the all-in price customers actually paid, including supply, delivery and riders. Profiles: Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) · Ameren Illinois Company · Illinois overview.
Where the territories meet
Both utilities file EIA-861 service territory in: Bureau · Ford · Kendall · LaSalle · Livingston · Marshall · Woodford counties (IL, 2024).
Adjoining or overlapping territory in a county does not mean households there can pick between the two — service maps are parcel-level and fixed. The county overlap mainly matters when choosing where to live or comparing town-level costs.
Can you actually choose between them?
No — not for delivery. Distribution territories are exclusive and set by address; Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and Ameren Illinois Company do not compete for the same meters. Illinois does have retail supply choice: customers of either utility may buy the supply portion from a licensed third-party supplier, or stay on the utility's default supply rate. An offer only saves money if it beats your utility's price to compare (printed on the bill); compare offers at pluginillinois.org. The price gap above mainly matters when choosing where to live, comparing towns, or benchmarking your bill.
Questions people ask
- Is Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) cheaper than Ameren Illinois Company?
- They were effectively tied in 2024: Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) averaged 15.22 cents/kWh and Ameren Illinois Company 15.26 (EIA-861) — less than $5 per year apart at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I switch from Ameren Illinois Company to Commonwealth Edison (ComEd)?
- No — distribution territories are exclusive and set by address; you cannot pick between the two wires companies. Illinois does allow supply choice: either utility's customers can shop the supply portion at pluginillinois.org if an offer beats the utility's price to compare.