The default rate for electricity that customers of ComEd are paying remains relatively high when compared to available competitive prices offered through the Illinois Energy Choice Act. ComEd is the biggest electricity utility in the state of Illinois and is responsible for providing power to the entire city of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
The current default price to compare ComEd rate for residential customers is between $0.0743 and $0.0793 cents per KWh. The range is dependent on the ComEd Purchase Electricity Adjustment, which gives ComEd the flexibility of adding up to half a penny, $0.005, per KWh to the default rate each month in order to make up expenses in situations where they pay more for power than the revenues derived from the price to compare customer pool. Meanwhile customers can find low electric rates in Chicago that will yield 9% savings versus the ComEd price to compare.
Chicago customers can also compare ComEd electricity rates that offer other incentives other than just a low price. Some electricity suppliers are offering cash back sign up bonuses, visa gift cards, and even a free Nest learning thermostat which is currently valued at $249. Illinois electricity suppliers are also offering green energy rate products that allow ComEd customers to purchase power derived from renewable resources.
Here is a list of the most attractive electricity rate offers in the ComEd service area, ranging from lowest price to great promotions:
After enjoying record level low electricity prices for the past year and a half, residential customers serviced by Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) are facing a huge electric rate hike that went into effect on June 1, 2014. For some consumers the rate hike is more than 50% as the ComEd default rate has jumped from below 5 cents to, in some cases, just above 8 cents. The price hike will effect all residential ComEd consumers who are on the “Price to Compare” rate structure, which is the price consumers pay for generation and transmission service who have not shopped for an alternative solution.
The large price increase by ComEd has resurrected competitive electricity rate offers that can produce savings. During the last year and a half, Illinois electricity suppliers found it difficult to offer rate plans that could show savings versus the ComEd price to compare. Instead they focused on promotional incentives and longer term price protection contracts in order to gain new customers. With high ComEd rates accompanied by low wholesale prices, ComEd energy choice can once again provide fixed electric rates that are lower than the default prices and thus offer clean cut savings on the ComEd electric bill.
Finding a low electricity rate offered by a electricity supplier who is licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission can result in lower monthly ComEd electric bills.
The Commonwealth Edison Company, responsible for delivering power to 3.8 million electricity customers in northern Illinois, recently raised their electricity supply rates for residential customers by 20%. The increase went into effect on October 1, 2012. The new high rate of 8.32 cents includes generation and transmission charges. The 8.32 cents does not include the “Purchase Electricity Adjustment” which is a true-up payment ComEd charges or refunds customers based on the difference between what ComEd paid to acquire power supply for the default customer class and what ComEd actually charged this class of customers. ComEd has estimated that this true-up cost will be another $0.005 from now until May 2013. If this estimated increase is accurate, it means that the true price to compare will be closer to 8.8 cents per KWH for default paying customers in the ComEd territory.
Default paying customers include all electricity customers who receive their electric bill from the Commonwealth Edison Company who have not chosen a competitive electricity supply company to provide them with competitive eletric rates. Customers can eliminate the increase, and even pay less for electricity than the default rate of 6.935 cents that was offered during the summer by participating in the Illinois electric choice market and shopping for electricity rates that are competitive. Switching off of the high ComEd price to compare rate and onto a lower electric rate offered by a competitive electric supplier will also eliminate the “Purchase Electricity Adjustment” charge on the ComEd electric bill.
With competitive rates being as low as they are (see below) the number of power shoppers in Chicago and surrounding areas is growing rapidly. People are starting to understand that electric choice can simply provide a lower ComEd electric bill without sacrificing quality. ComEd is still in charge of delivering power and responding to power emergencies for their 3.8 million customers in northern Illinois. Furthermore, ComEd continues to deliver the monthly electric bill to their customers. Switching electric suppliers simply amounts to the rate on the supply section of the ComEd electric bill to be altered.
Competitive electric companies are able to offer substantial savings versus the Commonwealth Edison default price to compare rate. While many consumers are catching on, there are still many who have not had the time to research the benefits of energy choice. For more information on competitive electric rates in ComEd, see our daily update prices from approved suppliers licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
The competitive residential electricity market in Illinois continues to grow as consumer awareness of energy choice increases. Electricity choice has been steady in the Illinois commercial market, however residential awareness has only seen significant growth in the past year.
All four main utilities in Illinois – ComEd, Ameren I, Ameren II, Ameren III – have seen extreme growth in customer participation over the last twelve months. In July of 2011 the total number of Illinois electricity households buying power from a competitive supplier was just over 54,000 with just over 52,000 of those customers living in the ComEd territory. In July 2012 the total number of Illinois choice customers jumped up to over 800,000 with 527,000 of these customers located in the ComEd service area. The three Ameren areas went from having just below 2,000 shoppers in July of 2011 to over 270,000 in July of 2012.
The huge market growth has been a direct result of low electric rates that competitive energy companies have been able to offer to Illinois consumers compared to the utility default rates. When Illinois electricity consumers do not shop for competitive electric rates they end up paying a default rate for their generation supply service. The default rate, called the price to compare, is determined by several auctions held by the utilities for energy companies who wish to bid for the right to serve a percentage of price to compare customers. Since the Illinois energy choice law allows consumers to switch off of price to compare service and onto a competitive rate at anytime, the energy companies must put a premium on their price bids. The rapid move of customers taking the time to find cheaper electric rates has further increased this premium.
Meanwhile, those customers who do take the time to learn about Illinois electricity choice and compare electricity rates will be able to save a significant amount of money on their electricity bills. Most competitive electricity companies offer single billing which means that the Illinois consumer continues to only get one electric bill from the utility (ComEd, Ameren) that they are used to getting the monthly bill from. The competitive electric rate simply replaces the supply charges, which include generation and transmission, on the electric bill. If the competitive rate is less than the sum of the generation and transmission utility default rate you will pay less and save on your electricity bill.
Find your Illinois utility below and choose a competitive electric rate so you can start saving money!
