Illinois's average residential electricity price was 17.8¢/kWh in February 2026 —
the 17th-highest price of the 51 states+DC (EIA). Across its major utilities in 2024, average all-in rates ranged from
10.0¢/kWh at MidAmerican Energy Co to
15.3¢/kWh at Ameren Illinois Company — a spread worth about
$569/yr at typical usage (10,800 kWh/yr).
Illinois lets households choose their electricity and natural-gas supplier (the supply portion only — details below).
For home heating, heating oil (no. 2) was the cheapest fuel at
$6.15 per million BTU vs $52.26 for electric resistance heat.
Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy Co | 9.90 | 9.99 | 73,564 | Investor-owned | -$547 |
| City of Geneva | 12.05 | 11.03 | 8,691 | Municipal | -$435 |
| City of Springfield | 11.90 | 11.95 | 59,621 | Municipal | -$336 |
| City of Naperville | 12.95 | 12.98 | 56,117 | Municipal | -$225 |
| Rochelle Municipal Utilities | 13.47 | 13.22 | 5,854 | Municipal | -$199 |
| Southwestern Electric Coop Inc | 13.20 | 13.68 | 24,822 | Co-op | -$149 |
| City of Batavia | 14.10 | 14.08 | 10,020 | Municipal | -$106 |
| Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc | 13.66 | 14.47 | 22,731 | Co-op | -$64 |
| Rock Energy Cooperative | 14.55 | 14.96 | 9,339 | Co-op | -$10 |
| Norris Electric Coop | 14.63 | 15.08 | 18,074 | Co-op | +$2 |
| Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) | 14.78 | 15.22 | 2,922,223 | Investor-owned | +$17 |
| Ameren Illinois Company | 17.04 | 15.26 | 520,498 | Investor-owned | +$21 |
| City of St Charles | 14.80 | 15.37 | 14,181 | Municipal | +$33 |
| Egyptian Electric Coop Assn | 15.44 | 15.54 | 13,707 | Co-op | +$51 |
| Corn Belt Energy Corporation | 15.58 | 15.76 | 34,710 | Co-op | +$75 |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc | 15.48 | 16.04 | 16,197 | Co-op | +$106 |
| Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop | 15.89 | 16.58 | 11,957 | Co-op | +$164 |
| Eastern Illinois Elec Coop | 16.98 | 17.10 | 11,115 | Co-op | +$220 |
| Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop | 16.85 | 17.14 | 8,456 | Co-op | +$225 |
| Menard Electric Coop | 17.84 | 18.05 | 9,048 | Co-op | +$323 |
| Shelby Electric Coop, Inc | 19.32 | 18.63 | 9,871 | Co-op | +$385 |
| Jo-Carroll Energy, Inc | 18.62 | 19.79 | 17,227 | Co-op | +$511 |
Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential sales from each utility's federal EIA-861 filing (bundled service — supply + delivery + riders, not a quoted tariff rate). State average = 15.06¢/kWh, volume-weighted across these utilities (2024). Your distribution utility is fixed by address; these gaps measure what households in different territories actually paid. A further 59 competitive suppliers / solar lessors report energy-only or behind-the-meter sales in Illinois; their prices cover only part of the bill and are not comparable to the all-in figures above.
Can you choose your electric company in Illinois?
Electric supply choice: yes · Gas supply choice: yes
Electric choice (ComEd/Ameren; Plug In Illinois publishes price-to-compare). Gas choice in Nicor/Peoples/North Shore territories.
How to switch suppliers in Illinois (3 steps)
- Find the price to compare (default supply rate) on your utility bill — you only save when an offer beats it for the same period.
- Compare licensed supplier offers on the state's official shopping site: pluginillinois.org. Check term, early-exit fees, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
- Sign up with the supplier — they handle the switch. Your utility still delivers the power, owns the wires, and responds to outages; only the supply line of the bill changes.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Illinois?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (No. 2) | $0.852 /gal | Mar 18, 1991 | 6.15 |
| Utility natural gas | $1.099 /therm | Feb 2026 | 10.99 |
| Propane | $2.026 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 22.15 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 17.83 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 52.26 |
Heating oil (No. 2) is the cheapest residential energy per BTU in Illinois at $6.15/MMBTU. Conversions: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU; 1 therm = 100,000 BTU; heating oil 138,500 BTU/gal; propane 91,452 BTU/gal. Site-energy prices — appliance efficiency changes delivered-heat cost: a 95% AFUE gas furnace delivers heat near the gas figure, while a heat pump at seasonal COP 2.5–3 cuts the effective electric figure by 60–70%.
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
Illinois's average residential price went from 16.47¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 17.83¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 8% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 19.05¢ in Sep '25.
| Month | Feb '25 | Mar '25 | Apr '25 | May '25 | Jun '25 | Jul '25 | Aug '25 | Sep '25 | Oct '25 | Nov '25 | Dec '25 | Jan '26 | Feb '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¢/kWh | 16.47 | 17.55 | 18.28 | 18.58 | 18.29 | 17.22 | 18.06 | 19.05 | 18.74 | 18.31 | 17.07 | 16.36 | 17.83 |
Head-to-head utility comparisons in Illinois
- Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) vs Ameren Illinois Company — who's cheaper?
- Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) vs City of Naperville — who's cheaper?
- Ameren Illinois Company vs MidAmerican Energy Co — who's cheaper?
- Ameren Illinois Company vs City of Springfield — who's cheaper?
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in Illinois?
- MidAmerican Energy Co, at an average 10.0 cents per kWh for 2024 among Illinois utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, Ameren Illinois Company, averaged 15.3 cents — a difference of about $569 per year at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I choose my electric company in Illinois?
- You cannot choose the utility that delivers power — that is set by your address. Illinois does allow residential supply choice: you may buy the supply portion from a licensed competitive supplier if it beats your utility's price to compare. The official shopping site is pluginillinois.org.
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Illinois?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $10.99 (Feb 2026) versus $52.26 for electric resistance heat, $6.15 for heating oil. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $17-21 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in Illinois?
- At Illinois's February 2026 average price of 17.83 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $160 per month ($1926 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.
About these numbers. Rates shown are averages computed from federal regulatory filings (EIA Form 861)
and public tariff databases — confirm with your utility before making decisions; your actual rate depends on your tariff,
usage, and riders. Distribution utility is determined by address and generally cannot be chosen; in retail-choice states
you may choose your supplier for the supply portion of the bill. Savings figures use 10,800 kWh/yr
(US average residential usage) and are estimates, not quotes. EnergySavings is an independent data project by CertiHomes
and is not affiliated with any utility, supplier, or government agency.