Why is my ComEd bill so high?

If your usage didn't change but the bill did, it's almost always the supply rate, a seasonal swing, or an estimated read catching up. Here's how to tell which, on a ComEd bill specifically.

Brighter Bills · Illinois energy guides

Find these three lines on your ComEd bill

1. Electricity Supply Charges — the cost of the power itself. This is the part community solar discounts, and the part a third-party supplier can inflate.
2. Delivery Services — ComEd's charge for the wires and meters. This doesn't change based on who supplies your power.
3. Meter reading — check whether it says "estimated." If the last few months were estimated and this one is actual, you're paying a correction, not a rate hike.

Is a third-party supplier on your account?

Illinois is deregulated, so another company can be supplying your power. Look at the supply section — if a company name other than ComEd appears there, they set your rate, not ComEd. Teaser rates roll into variable rates that often run well above ComEd's default. You can switch back to ComEd supply at no cost. The Illinois Commerce Commission runs Plug In Illinois, where you can compare supplier rates against ComEd's.

Community solar in ComEd territory

Illinois runs the program through Illinois Shines, administered by the Illinois Power Agency. Vendors must be approved by the state and must give you a standardized disclosure form before you sign.

It's a single bill. Your community solar credits and charges appear on your ComEd bill — you won't get a separate invoice from the solar company. That's different from states like Massachusetts and Minnesota, and it's the reason a lot of the scam complaints you'll read online don't apply in Illinois.

You need to be in ComEd's territory to subscribe to a ComEd-territory project. An Ameren project won't credit a ComEd account.

ComEd programs worth checking

• Budget Billing — averages your payments across the year so summer doesn't spike.
• Income-based assistance — Illinois runs LIHEAP and PIPP; ComEd also has its own hardship programs. These go unclaimed constantly.
• Illinois Solar for All — income-qualified households can get a larger community solar discount than the standard program.