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What are Base Power and Energywell offering Illinois homeowners?

If your ComEd bill has climbed and someone has pitched you a free or nearly free home battery, the offer is real and so are the savings — both companies price their electricity below ComEd's, and neither asks you to buy the battery. What the sales material tends to skip is what you are agreeing to in return, and for how long. This page lays out both offers side by side from the contracts themselves, and links those contracts so you can read them yourself.

The Day Company is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of Base Power, Energywell, Think Energy, ComEd, or the Citizens Utility Board. Company names are used only to identify the offers described. We are an Illinois solar and battery information resource and a lead-generation business, which means we have a commercial interest in rooftop solar — a product these offers are not compatible with. Every figure below is attributed to a named public document and dated, and the contract documents we quote are linked so you can check them yourself.

Published August 3, 2026 · Last reviewed August 3, 2026 · Facts verified at primary sources August 2026 · By The Day Company Editorial Team

What exactly are these offers?

They are two things sold as one: a battery and an electricity plan. The company installs a whole-home battery at your house, keeps ownership of it, and enrolls you as a customer of its own alternative retail electric supplier plan. You pay little or nothing for the hardware; the company earns by supplying your power and by using the battery's stored energy to serve the grid when demand peaks.

Both companies are compensated under Illinois' Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which pays for battery storage that helps balance the grid. The Citizens Utility Board explains the economics plainly: these companies charge the batteries when power is cheap and supply stored energy back when the grid is strained, and that grid service "earns them revenue, which allows them to offer discounted rates and free or low-cost battery installations."

Two companies are doing this in Illinois as of August 2026 — Base Power, based in Austin, Texas, which launched in Illinois in June 2026, and Energywell, based in Greens Farms, Connecticut, whose Illinois supplier entity is Fanfare Energy, LLC and whose offer is marketed through the Think+ Energy Advisor network. Both operate in ComEd territory only.

How do Base Power and Energywell compare?

The table below sets the two offers side by side as of August 3, 2026. The headline rates are close; the commitments are not.

Swipe the table sideways to see both columns →

Sources: Citizens Utility Board Q&A on battery and electricity supply offers, July 22, 2026; Base Power published Illinois rates and help center, rates as of June 15, 2026; Energywell Battery Service Agreement and Illinois rate pages, accessed August 3, 2026. Rates compared against ComEd's Price to Compare of 10.399¢/kWh, effective June 1 through September 30, 2026.

The single largest difference in that table is the bottom of the cancellation column. Both companies charge $500 if you end the agreement and give the battery back. If you end it and keep the battery, Base charges fair market value — an amount that is not fixed in advance — while Energywell's fee schedule names a flat $15,000.

What do you actually pay for electricity?

Both plans are time-of-use, not flat rates, and both are priced against ComEd's Price to Compare rather than against each other. Base publishes cents: 7.8¢ per kWh on-peak and 7.6¢ off-peak, as of June 15, 2026. Energywell publishes a discount instead: 25% below ComEd's Price to Compare on-peak and 28% off-peak, excluding the monthly Purchased Electricity Adjustment.

For context, ComEd's Price to Compare is 10.399¢ per kWh from June 1 through September 30, 2026, which is what makes both offers land around 25% lower today. That comparison is not fixed. ComEd's supply rate resets on October 1, 2026, and a percentage-based discount moves with it while a fixed cent rate does not.

The Citizens Utility Board makes a point worth repeating here, because it cuts in these companies' favour: most alternative supplier plans in Illinois have not saved residential customers money, and these two are unusual in guaranteeing savings against ComEd's price at all. That is a real distinction from the alternative-supplier offers Illinois consumers have historically been warned about.

What the guarantee covers is the supply portion of your bill. Delivery charges, the customer charge and taxes are billed by ComEd regardless of who supplies your power, so a 25% supply discount is not a 25% bill discount. If you want the anatomy of a ComEd bill line by line, that is on why is my ComEd bill so high.

Who owns the battery, and where does it go?

Neither company sells you the battery — both keep it. Base installs its own Base Core unit, 39.2 kWh in the single configuration, outside the home. Energywell installs an EcoFlow OCEAN Pro, up to 40 kWh across multiple units, and states on its own site that the system is fully outdoor-rated. In both cases the company owns, operates, maintains and remotely dispatches the hardware for the life of the agreement, and both say they cover repair or replacement if it fails.

That ownership structure is why the offers can be nearly free at the door, and it is also why the cancellation terms look the way they do. You are hosting equipment, not buying it.

On backup: both batteries can power your home during an outage, but neither company guarantees the battery will be charged when you need it. Because the battery is dispatched to serve the grid, its state of charge varies. Both contracts disclaim guaranteed backup, and both bar relying on the system for medical or life-critical equipment. If uninterrupted power matters for a medical device, neither of these offers — nor rooftop solar with storage — should be treated as a substitute for a dedicated backup plan.

What are you actually signing up for?

Two agreements, running on different clocks. The supply plan is the shorter one; the battery agreement is the one that binds. Base's battery commitment runs 12 years, Energywell's 15, and both supply plans renew automatically inside those windows.

Commitment lengths as published August 3, 2026. Energywell's initial supply term is shown at five years per the Citizens Utility Board and Energywell's national rates page; Energywell's own Illinois pages state two years — see the conflict noted below. Supply plans renew automatically inside the battery agreement in both cases.

Swipe the table sideways to see both columns →

Sources: Citizens Utility Board Q&A, July 22, 2026; Energywell Battery Service Agreement fee schedule and Section 9; Base Power Net Metering Addendum, dated April 24, 2026. Accessed August 3, 2026.

One conflict we could not resolve, and will not paper over. Energywell's initial supply term is stated as five years by the Citizens Utility Board and on Energywell's national rates page, but Energywell's own Illinois pages say the rate agreement renews after two years and that rates are locked in for two years. Those cannot both be right. The controlling document is whichever agreement the company puts in front of you — ask which term applies and get the answer in the contract, not in an email.

A second thing worth knowing before you compare price tags: Base's Illinois page shows the install fee as $695 struck through down to $95. The $695 is Base's standard fee in Texas. Base's own Illinois announcement puts the standard Illinois fee at $295 once the first 2,000 customers are through.

Will the battery change the rest of my bill?

Yes, and both companies have a mechanism to offset it. A battery that charges from the grid pulls kilowatt-hours through your meter, and ComEd bills delivery on every kilowatt-hour you draw. Left alone, that would raise your delivery charges simply because the company is charging its own battery at your house. Both companies credit the supply side of your bill to compensate.

They do it differently, and the difference matters. Base Power uses a stated rate — 3.48 cents per kWh as of June 2026, per the Citizens Utility Board, set out in a document Base calls the Net Metering Addendum. Energywell does not publish a cent figure at all. Its Battery Participation Credit Addendum defines the credit as ComEd's published per-kilowatt-hour delivery charge for your rate class, multiplied by the battery's grid consumption for the billing period. That credit is capped so it never exceeds what you owe that month, it does not carry forward, and Energywell may change it with notice.

The Citizens Utility Board was unable to confirm Energywell's credit amount when it published in July. The reason, on reading the addendum, is that there is no single amount to confirm — it is a formula tied to your rate class, not a rate. That is not necessarily worse than a fixed figure, but it is harder to check, and it means the offset moves whenever ComEd's delivery charges move.

Can you have one of these offers and rooftop solar?

No, and this is the term most likely to matter later. Energywell's agreement excludes solar outright for the full fifteen years. Base does not prohibit it but warns in its own help center that its offer may cost solar customers more than staying with ComEd. Either way, signing one of these agreements takes rooftop solar off the table for more than a decade.

Energywell's Battery Service Agreement states it directly:

"Customers with solar panels or any distributed generation installed at their service address at any time during the 15-year term of this Agreement are not eligible for this product (or will become disqualified from this product), absent written agreement from the Company."

Energywell Battery Service Agreement, Section 9, accessed August 3, 2026

Installing solar anyway is treated as a breach, carrying liquidated damages of $50 for each month remaining in the term, capped at $3,000, on top of anything else owed.

Base's position is commercial rather than contractual. Its help center tells prospective customers:

"If you have — or plan to add — solar panels, switching to Base may cost you more than using ComEd as your supplier. ComEd offers hourly pricing and net metering, which credits solar members at better rates than Base's flat solar buyback rate."

Base Power help center, last edited May 7, 2026

The Citizens Utility Board reaches the same conclusion from the outside, listing "you have rooftop solar or are interested in getting it" among the situations where these offers are not the right fit.

None of that makes either offer a bad deal. It makes it a fork in the road. A battery bundle and a solar system are two different answers to the same complaint about your bill — one lowers the price of the power you buy, the other reduces how much you buy — and in Illinois you cannot practically do both. The order matters: it is far easier to check whether solar works on your roof before signing a twelve or fifteen year agreement than to unwind one afterward.

Are you even eligible for these offers?

Both offers have hard gates that rule out a large share of Illinois households before price ever enters the conversation. Five questions settle it. Nothing you select is sent anywhere — this runs entirely in your browser.

Is this the same as ComEd's virtual power plant?

No. Three different things are using the same language right now, and conflating them is easy. Energywell calls its network a "Connected Energy Community," which the Citizens Utility Board describes as a virtual power plant. Base operates its batteries as a dispatchable fleet. ComEd has its own, separate, utility-run program called the Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant, approved in 2026 and launching in 2027.

The practical difference is who owns the battery. Under ComEd's program, you own a battery and ComEd pays you to let it dispatch during defined windows. Under Base and Energywell, the company owns the battery and you get discounted supply instead of a payment. All three trace back to the same Illinois law, which is why the vocabulary overlaps.

If it is ComEd's own program you are trying to understand — the rate, the enrollment timing, and the commitment that comes with taking ComEd's battery rebate — that is covered in full on ComEd's virtual power plant explained.

Who are these offers actually good for?

There is a real customer here, and it is worth describing honestly. If you own a single-family home in ComEd territory, you have no interest in solar now or later, you expect to stay put for well over a decade, and you want backup power without spending five figures on a battery, these offers are a reasonable fit — and the guaranteed discount against ComEd's price is genuinely unusual for an Illinois alternative supplier.

The Citizens Utility Board's own list of situations where these offers do not fit is short and clear: you are an Ameren or MidAmerican customer; you rent, or live in an apartment or condo; you plan to move soon; you have rooftop solar or are interested in getting it; you want the flexibility to switch plans as new options appear; or you need dependable backup power, since neither company guarantees the battery will be charged when an outage starts.

The Citizens Utility Board also notes that it had not yet heard from Illinois consumers who completed the process when it published in July 2026, and could not evaluate how the plans perform in practice. As of August 3, 2026, that remains the case — there is no track record in Illinois yet for either offer, because neither is old enough to have one.

Battery and supply bundle FAQ

What is Base Power's Illinois offer?

Base Power installs a company-owned Base Core battery outside your home for a one-time fee of $95 for the first 2,000 Illinois customers, or $295 standard, and enrolls you in its own time-of-use electricity supply plan at 7.8 cents per kilowatt-hour on-peak and 7.6 cents off-peak as of June 15, 2026. You agree to host the battery for 12 years. It is available in ComEd territory only, and not yet in Chicago proper.

What is Energywell's Illinois offer?

Energywell installs a company-owned EcoFlow OCEAN Pro battery, up to 40 kWh, with a $99 refundable deposit and no installation cost, and enrolls you in a time-of-use supply plan priced 25% below ComEd's Price to Compare on-peak and 28% below off-peak. The battery services agreement runs 15 years. Its Illinois supplier entity is Fanfare Energy, LLC, and the offer is marketed through the Think+ Energy Advisor network.

What is the catch with a free home battery?

The company keeps ownership of the battery and you commit to its electricity supply for a long time — 12 years with Base Power, 15 with Energywell. Ending early costs $500 if you return the battery. Keeping the battery costs fair market value with Base, or $15,000 with Energywell. Neither offer works alongside rooftop solar.

Can I get one of these offers if I already have solar panels?

Energywell excludes customers with solar or any distributed generation for the full 15-year term of its agreement. Base Power does not prohibit it, but warns in its own help center that switching may cost solar customers more than staying with ComEd, because ComEd's hourly pricing and net metering credit solar generation at better rates than Base's flat buyback rate.

Can I add solar later if I sign one of these?

Not practically. Under Energywell's agreement, installing solar at any point during the 15-year term is a breach carrying liquidated damages of $50 per month remaining, capped at $3,000. Base does not bar it contractually but says the economics work against solar customers. In both cases the decision is effectively made for more than a decade.

What happens if I sell my house?

Base Power's agreement can be transferred to the buyer, but if the buyer does not want it, the seller owes the early termination fee. Energywell's battery services agreement attaches to the service address for its term. In either case, a battery agreement is a disclosure item in a home sale.

How much will I actually save?

The guarantee applies to the supply portion of your bill, not the whole bill. Both companies price roughly 25% below ComEd's Price to Compare, which is 10.399 cents per kilowatt-hour from June 1 through September 30, 2026. Delivery charges, the fixed customer charge and taxes are billed by ComEd regardless of supplier, so the total bill falls by less than 25%.

Will the battery increase my ComEd delivery charges?

Charging the battery from the grid does pull kilowatt-hours through your meter, and both companies credit the supply side of your bill to offset it. Base Power's credit was 3.48 cents per kilowatt-hour as of June 2026. Energywell's credit is a formula rather than a fixed rate — ComEd's per-kilowatt-hour delivery charge for your rate class multiplied by the battery's grid consumption, capped at the amount owed that month and not carried forward.

Is this available in Chicago?

Not from Base Power as of August 2026. Base is available in roughly a third of ComEd territory, limited by municipal permitting rules that differ town to town, and has said Chicago is next. Energywell describes its Illinois availability as select neighborhoods in ComEd territory. Both run address-level eligibility checks.

Is this the same as ComEd's virtual power plant program?

No. ComEd's Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant pays customers who own their own battery to let ComEd dispatch it, and launches in 2027. Base Power and Energywell own the batteries themselves and compensate you with discounted electricity supply instead of a payment. All three trace back to the same Illinois grid law, which is why the terminology overlaps.

Base Power or Energywell — which is better?

They price almost identically against ComEd. The meaningful differences are term length, 12 years versus 15; the cost of keeping the battery if you cancel, fair market value versus $15,000; and solar, which Base discourages and Energywell prohibits outright. Base publishes a fixed cent rate while Energywell publishes a percentage discount, so Energywell's price moves with ComEd's and Base's does not.

Related answers

Sources

• Citizens Utility Board — CUB Q&A: Battery + electricity supply offers in Illinois (July 22, 2026) — the primary independent consumer source for both offers, including rates, terms, fees, the fit and not-fit lists, and the solar caution
• Plug In Illinois — ComEd Price to Compare (Illinois Commerce Commission) — the 10.399¢/kWh benchmark both offers are priced against
• Base Power — Illinois Net Metering Addendum (PDF) (dated April 24, 2026) — the distribution-cost credit and battery dispatch terms
• Base Power — help center: joining Base with solar (last edited May 7, 2026) — the company's own caution to solar customers
• Energywell — Illinois Battery Service Agreement (PDF) — Section 9 solar exclusion, fee schedule, cancellation terms
• Energywell — Illinois Battery Participation Credit Addendum (PDF) (dated June 24, 2026) — how the distribution-cost credit is calculated
• Base Power — published Illinois rates and rate history (rates as of June 15, 2026) and Illinois launch announcement (June 24, 2026). Cited by name; we do not link the companies' sales pages.
• Energywell — Illinois rates and battery product pages, accessed August 3, 2026. Cited by name; we do not link the companies' sales pages.
• Illinois Commerce Commission — supplier records for Base Retail, LLC (license 26-0121) and Fanfare Energy, LLC d/b/a Energywell (dockets 26-0011 and 26-0381)
• Public Act 104-0458, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act — the Illinois law under which both companies are compensated for grid services

Links to Base Power and Energywell documents are provided so you can verify the contract language quoted above, and are marked so they pass no ranking credit. We link the contract documents only, not either company's sales or enrollment pages.

How to cite this page: The Day Company, "What are Base Power and Energywell offering Illinois homeowners?", theday.company/answers/battery-supply-bundle-illinois, last reviewed August 3, 2026.
Changelog: August 2026 — v1 published.
Update triggers: this page is revised when either company changes its published rates, fees or terms; when either expands into Ameren or MidAmerican territory or into Chicago proper; when the Citizens Utility Board publishes a follow-up; or when the Illinois Commerce Commission issues an order affecting either supplier. Because these offers are new and moving, we re-check every figure here monthly.