Who are the electric companies in Chicago?
A Chicago home has three layers: ComEd, the supplier and the City. The first is fixed. The second you can shop. The third is a city program, and the ICC list shows what Chicago has. People often mix them up, so here they are side by side.
| Layer | Who it is | What it does | Can you change it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery | ComEd, which calls itself an Exelon company | Owns the poles and wires, reads the meter, restores power, sends the bill | No |
| Supply | ComEd by default, or a supplier you choose (the state calls it an ARES) | Sells the power itself, priced per kWh | Yes |
| The City | City of Chicago | Ran a group-buying program from 2012 to 2015 | Check the ICC list |
When the lights go out, call ComEd, not your supplier. Only ComEd owns the lines. Your supplier cannot fix them. If your supply comes from ComEd, you are not "with no one." You are on ComEd's default price, called the price to compare.
Does the City of Chicago run an electricity program?
Chicago ran one from 2012 to 2015. In 2012 Chicago voters said yes to a group-buying program, and the City picked a supplier. The program ended in the summer of 2015, and about 600,000 customers moved back to ComEd unless they chose another company, CBS Chicago reported on July 29, 2015. The table shows what the ICC's list of programs said for Chicago when we read it. Check the list for today's status.
| Place | Status on the ICC list |
|---|---|
| City of Chicago | Program Expired August 2015 |
| All ComEd-area communities | 180 have a supplier chosen |
Many suburbs do have a program. On October 25, 2026, Evanston, Oak Park and Skokie each had a supplier chosen. A friend in one of those towns may be in a program that you cannot join. If you ever move to one, your bill will name a different supplier. Read any letter a program sends before its deadline.
Looking for an electrician instead? An electric company sends power. An electrician fixes wiring. The City of Chicago keeps a lookup of licensed electrical contractors run with its Department of Buildings. Check a name there before you hire.
What does ComEd charge for the power?
It is 10.103¢ per kWh from October 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, says the ICC. That is the price to compare: ComEd's supply charge of 8.413¢ plus its transmission charge of 1.690¢. The ICC last showed it on October 25, 2026.
| Piece | Cents per kWh | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|
| Electric supply charge | 8.413 | The power itself |
| Transmission services charge | 1.690 | The high-voltage lines |
| Price to compare | 10.103 | The number a supplier has to beat |
Two things are left out. First, ComEd adds or subtracts a small monthly "Purchased Electricity Adjustment" on its own supply, and a supplier customer does not pay it. Second, delivery charges are the same whoever sells you the power. For the October change, read our ComEd rate reset guide. For what a typical bill adds up to, see Illinois electric rates.
Do suppliers beat ComEd's price?
The ICC runs a list of supplier offers for ComEd homes. Suppliers must honor the prices they post there. The ICC does not say the list is complete or rank the offers. A person read the list on October 25, 2026.
| Measure | What we read |
|---|---|
| Offers with a price | 44 |
| Of those, fixed price | 41 |
| Fixed offers priced under ComEd's price | 3 |
| Lowest fixed price with 12 months or more and no monthly fee | 10.340¢ |
| That price minus ComEd's price | 0.237¢ (a minus sign means lower) |
| Middle fixed price | 11.790¢ |
On October 25, 2026, 3 fixed offers were under ComEd's price. The lowest fixed offer of a year or more with no monthly fee was 10.340¢. Short terms and monthly fees are common on the cheapest offers, so read each one. That is our read of one day. The list changes, so run the tool on today's offers, not on our table.
Why would you still look? A fixed price protects you from ComEd's twice-a-year resets, in June and October. Its transmission charge also changes each January. A fixed offer can win in a year when the reset is up. It can lose in a year when the reset is down. Nobody knows ahead of time, so the fee and the end date matter more than the headline price.
Test an offer before you sign
You can paste any offer in here, from the ICC list, a mailer, a door knock or a plan finder. Type your kWh, the price, the monthly fee and how long the price lasts. The tool shows what you would keep or lose each month, and the price that would break even for you.
- 1Find your kWh.
It is on your ComEd bill. Use a winter month if you can.
- 2Type the offer's price.
Use cents per kWh, such as 10.49.
- 3Add any monthly fee.
Type 0 if there is none.
- 4Type the term.
Twelve months is common. A short term ends fast.
"You keep" is money you save while ComEd's price stays where it is. It is an estimate of the supply price only, not a bill, and it leaves out delivery, taxes and the contract's fine print.
A made-up example: at 700 kWh, a $9.99 monthly fee adds about 1.43¢ to every kWh. A plan that looks 1¢ cheaper than ComEd can still cost more. The tool adds the fee for you.
How do I switch, and what should I not do?
You do not "leave" ComEd. You keep ComEd for delivery and buy supply from someone else. Your supplier starts the change with ComEd for you.
- Find your price to compareIt is on your ComEd bill and on the state's Plug In Illinois site.
- Pick an offer and test itUse the tool above with the real price, fee and term.
- Read the termsLook at the term, the cancel fee and what the price becomes after the term.
- Sign, then watch for ComEd's letterComEd must tell you in writing about the new supplier.
- Cancel inside 10 days if you change your mindThe ICC says you can rescind within 10 days of the utility processing the enrollment.
- Compare a fixed price with ComEd's price to compare at your own kWh
- Ask for the price after the term ends, and for the cancel fee, in writing
- Check the company name on the ICC's supplier list
- Do not call ComEd to "cancel" your service to switch suppliers
- Do not give your ComEd account number to anyone before you are ready to switch
- Do not take an offer at its word if it says it is "the City's program"; check the ICC list
Illinois law says nobody may switch you without your approval. If it happens to you, the ICC takes complaints online or at (800) 524-0795.
Who do I call?
The right call depends on the problem. Use this list, then use the number on your ComEd bill for ComEd.
| Problem | Call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Power is out | ComEd | Only ComEd owns the lines |
| A wrong delivery charge | ComEd | ComEd sets and bills delivery |
| The supply price is not what you were told | Your supplier, then the ICC at (800) 524-0795 | The supplier set it; the ICC takes complaints |
| You were switched without your approval | The ICC at (800) 524-0795 | Illinois law bars it |
| Wiring at your home needs work | A City-licensed electrician | Not an electric company |
Find the supply price on your ComEd bill, then test any offer in the checker. If it beats ComEd after fees, read the term and the cancel rules before you sign.
Compare plans at my ZIPA partner runs the plan finder. If you sign up, it may pay us a fee, and that never moves a rating or a score.
Questions, answered
Is ComEd the only electric company in Chicago?
ComEd is the only company that delivers electricity to Chicago homes. It is not the only company that can sell you the power. You can buy supply from a supplier on the state's list, and ComEd still delivers it and answers outages.
Is there an alternative to ComEd in Illinois?
For delivery, in the Chicago area, no. For the power itself, yes. About 16 suppliers had a price on the ICC's list for ComEd homes on October 25, 2026. Outside ComEd's area, Ameren Illinois delivers instead.
Who is the cheapest electric supplier in Illinois?
The state does not rank suppliers, and the cheapest price changes. On October 25, 2026, the lowest fixed price for a year or more with no monthly fee was 10.340¢, against ComEd's 10.103¢. Test any offer in the checker above.
Are ComEd and Exelon the same?
Not quite. ComEd's own site calls ComEd an Exelon company, so Exelon is the larger parent. ComEd is the utility that delivers your power and sends your bill.
Does the City of Chicago have an electricity program?
Chicago ran one from 2012 to 2015. On October 25, 2026, the ICC's list showed it as "Program Expired August 2015". Check the list for today's status. Many suburbs have programs.
Do I need to cancel ComEd to switch suppliers?
No. Do not call ComEd to cancel. You keep ComEd for delivery, and your new supplier starts the change.
How long can I cancel a new supplier contract?
The ICC says you can rescind within 10 days of the utility processing the enrollment. After that, the contract sets any fee, so ask before you sign.
Where do I find my price to compare?
It is on your ComEd bill, and the ICC posts it on the Plug In Illinois site. It is 10.103¢ per kWh from October 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027.
What do you want to do next?
Sources and updates
Sources (9)
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Price to Compare: ComEd, Plug In Illinois (read Oct. 25, 2026): ComEd's price to compare, its supply and transmission parts, the Purchased Electricity Adjustment, and that transmission changes each January.
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Compare Offers, ComEd (read Oct. 25, 2026): The list of supplier offers for ComEd homes, and that suppliers must honor the posted prices.
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Municipal Aggregation Communities (read Oct. 25, 2026): Chicago's program listed as expired in August 2015, and the communities with a supplier now.
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Consumer Protections, Plug In Illinois (read Oct. 25, 2026): The 10-day right to rescind, the ban on switching without approval, and the ICC complaint line.
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Illinois Electric Utility Choices (Illinois.gov): The state service page for electric choice.
- ComEd, Home page (read Oct. 25, 2026): ComEd calls itself an Exelon company.
- City of Chicago, Licensed Trade Contractors: Electrical Contractors (read Oct. 25, 2026): The City's lookup of active licensed electrical contractors.
- Citizens Utility Board, Electric: ComEd and Ameren prices and supplier warnings (read Oct. 25, 2026): The watchdog's advice to check offers at Plug In Illinois and its warning about bad supplier deals.
- CBS News Chicago, City switching residents to ComEd for electricity (July 29, 2015): A local TV station. The end of the City's program and about 600,000 customers moving to ComEd that summer.
Changelog · last updated October 25, 2026 · 1 update
- October 25, 2026: Guide published.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "Chicago electric companies: ComEd delivers, but who sells you the power?", updated October 25, 2026, https://theday.company/answers/chicago-electric-companies.
The Day Company is not affiliated with ComEd, Exelon, the City of Chicago, the Illinois Commerce Commission or any electric supplier named on this page. Prices and counts come from public records as of Oct. 25, 2026, and the ICC's offer list changes often. The checker gives an estimate, not a quote or a promise of savings. Plug In Illinois is run by the state and is not linked to us. This guide is information, not legal or financial advice. Our plan finder is Power HQ, operated by Blitz Ventures Inc. (doing business as EnergyBot), which holds Illinois Commerce Commission licence 17-0994.