Solar Answers → Bills & Net Metering
When does ComEd's electricity rate change in October 2026?
ComEd's supply price resets October 1, 2026 — not December 1. The summer Price to Compare of 10.399¢ per kWh runs June 1 through September 30, 2026. The October figure had not been published as of July 30, 2026; it has historically posted on or around October 1. We update this page the day it appears.
Independent public sources we cite and link — The Day Company is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
When exactly does ComEd's rate change in fall 2026?
ComEd's Price to Compare changes on October 1, 2026. ComEd's filed tariff treats June, July, August and September as summer, so the summer rate expires after September 30 and the non-summer rate runs October through May. There is no December reset. A monthly adjustment can nudge the effective rate in between, but the scheduled change is October 1.
The language is in ComEd's Purchased Electricity Charges informational sheet, filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission as a supplement to Rate BES and Rider PE: "The Summer PECs are applicable in the months of June, July, August, and September." Everything outside those four months is non-summer — October 1 through May 31.
Between scheduled resets, a monthly Purchased Electricity Adjustment can move your effective supply rate slightly up or down. Plug In Illinois, the Commission's own electric-choice site, states those monthly adjustments are expected to average near zero across the planning year. So: two scheduled resets a year, small monthly true-ups, and one annual transmission change.
Why do some sites say December 1?
Because they are wrong about Illinois. Several national rate-comparison sites publish a "June 1 and December 1" schedule for ComEd. That cadence belongs to default-service utilities in other states — it is not ComEd's. Illinois' own electric-choice site, run by the Illinois Commerce Commission, and ComEd's filed tariff both put the fall change at October 1.
It matters because the error moves money. If you believe the summer price holds until December, you will assume two extra months of a rate that has already changed, and you may sign an alternative-supplier contract benchmarked against the wrong number. The Price to Compare is the figure any competing offer must beat, so comparing against a stale one is how bad contracts get signed.
A simple test: if a supplier, a comparison site, or a salesperson tells you ComEd's rate holds until December, ask them to show you where the state says so. The Commission's ComEd page is public and linked in our sources.
What is ComEd's rate right now?
As of July 30, 2026, ComEd's Price to Compare is 10.399¢ per kWh — 8.677¢ for electricity supply plus 1.722¢ for transmission. That price took effect June 1, 2026 and runs through September 30, 2026. It covers the supply portion of your bill only; delivery charges, taxes and fees are billed separately.
| Period | Dates | Price to Compare | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-summer | Oct 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026 | 9.689¢/kWh | Citizens Utility Board (Oct 1, 2025) |
| Summer (current) | Jun 1 – Sep 30, 2026 | 10.399¢/kWh 8.677¢ supply + 1.722¢ transmission | Plug In Illinois (ICC) |
| Non-summer | From Oct 1, 2026 | Not yet published as of July 30, 2026 | Plug In Illinois (ICC) |
The transmission component (1.722¢ inside the current figure) changes annually and is scheduled to change again in January 2027. Monthly Purchased Electricity Adjustments can move the effective rate slightly and are expected to average near zero over the planning year.
This number is the benchmark, not a bill estimate. If you want the full breakdown of why a ComEd bill lands where it does — supply versus delivery versus fixed charges — that lives on Why is my ComEd bill so high?
What will the October 1 rate be?
Nobody knows yet, and any site publishing a number is guessing. As of July 30, 2026 the October 2026 non-summer Price to Compare had not been posted by the Illinois Commerce Commission or ComEd. The figure has historically appeared on or around October 1 — the day it takes effect. We publish it here the day it posts.
Status as of July 30, 2026: not published. We do not estimate, model or forecast this number, and we would treat any company that does as a warning sign — a rate "projection" is a sales tool, not a fact.
Where it will appear first: the Commission's Plug In Illinois ComEd page, and typically a same-day Citizens Utility Board alert. Both are linked in our sources.
Our commitment: this page is updated the day the October figure is published, with the number, its supply and transmission components, and the effective dates.
Why does the rate reset twice a year?
Because ComEd buys the power on a seasonal schedule. Default supply — the power used by customers who have not chosen an alternative supplier — is procured under the Illinois Power Agency's plan and priced separately for summer (June through September) and non-summer (October through May). Summer power costs more to secure, so the two seasons carry different prices.
ComEd does not profit on that supply. The utility passes the cost of electricity through to customers without a markup; its earnings come from delivery service. That is why the Price to Compare tracks procurement and auction results rather than anything ComEd chooses.
Ameren Illinois customers have their own separate Price to Compare on its own schedule — this page covers ComEd territory only.
What's driving the increases?
Capacity costs. PJM, the regional grid operator ComEd buys in, holds auctions that pay generators to be available when demand peaks. The last three auctions all cleared at the FERC-approved cap: $329.17 per megawatt-day for 2026/2027, $333.44 for 2027/2028, and $325.00 for 2028/2029. Those costs flow into what ComEd pays for power.
For scale: the 2026/2027 result was about 22% above the prior year and roughly eleven times the 2024/2025 price. The most recent auction, announced July 14, 2026, came in about 2.5% below the year before it — the first step down in the series — but still hit the cap, and still cleared roughly 6,800 MW short of PJM's reliability requirement. The 2027/2028 auction fell short too, by 6,623 MW.
That matters for how long this lasts. The 2028/2029 auction covers a delivery year running through May 31, 2029, so capacity costs are now locked at the cap for three consecutive years. The Citizens Utility Board — writing in June 2026, before that third auction was held — expected ComEd's price to stay elevated at least through May 2028; the July result extends the same pressure a year further out.
None of that tells you what October's number will be. It tells you which direction the pressure has been coming from, and that it has a multi-year runway rather than a one-season spike.
Will winter actually be cheaper than summer?
Recent history says lower, not low. The non-summer price that ran October 2025 through May 2026 was 9.689¢ per kWh, below the 10.399¢ in effect this summer. But "cheaper than summer" is a low bar right now — PJM capacity costs are locked at the auction cap through the 2028/2029 delivery year, which ends May 31, 2029.
There is also a second variable people forget: a bill is price times usage. A lower winter rate against higher winter usage can still produce a bigger bill — particularly in an all-electric home or one with a heat pump or electric backup heat. If your bill jumped this summer, check whether the price moved, your usage moved, or both.
Is there any way to escape the reset cycle?
Not with ComEd — the Price to Compare is set by procurement, not by you. The two levers homeowners actually have are switching supply (an alternative-supplier contract, which carries its own risks) and producing some of their own power, which shifts part of the cost from the market to the price of equipment. Whether that math works depends on your roof, your usage and your bill.
That is the honest version of the solar question. Owning a system does not freeze the Price to Compare — it changes how many kilowatt-hours you buy at whatever that price becomes. It is a hedge against the reset cycle for the portion of your usage the system covers, and nothing more than that.
Two limits worth knowing before anyone pitches you: systems interconnected on or after January 1, 2025 receive supply-only net metering credits in Illinois, so the delivery portion of the bill remains; and the federal residential tax credit ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025 — see Did the solar tax credit end? for what did and did not survive.
If you want to know whether your specific home is even a candidate, that is a free eligibility check — not a quote, not a savings promise, and it tells you no when the answer is no.
ComEd October 2026 rate reset FAQ
When does ComEd's electricity rate change in fall 2026?
October 1, 2026. ComEd's filed tariff treats June, July, August and September as summer, so the summer Price to Compare ends September 30 and the non-summer price applies from October 1 through May 31, 2027.
Isn't ComEd's reset June 1 and December 1?
No. Several national rate-comparison sites publish a December 1 date for ComEd, and it is wrong. The Illinois Commerce Commission's own electric-choice site and ComEd's filed tariff both put the fall change at October 1.
What is ComEd's Price to Compare right now?
As of July 30, 2026 it is 10.399¢ per kWh — 8.677¢ of electricity supply plus 1.722¢ of transmission — effective June 1 through September 30, 2026. It covers the supply portion of your bill only, not delivery, taxes or fees.
What will ComEd's October 2026 rate be?
It had not been published as of July 30, 2026. The non-summer figure has historically been posted on or around October 1, the day it takes effect. We do not estimate it, and neither should anyone selling to you. This page updates the day it posts.
Why does ComEd's rate reset twice a year?
Because default supply is procured seasonally under the Illinois Power Agency's plan and priced separately for summer (June through September) and non-summer (October through May). Summer power costs more to secure, so the two seasons carry different prices.
What is making ComEd's supply price go up?
Capacity costs. PJM's auctions, which pay generators to be available at peak, have cleared at the FERC-approved cap three years running — $329.17 per megawatt-day for 2026/2027, $333.44 for 2027/2028, and $325.00 for 2028/2029. Those costs feed into what ComEd pays for power.
Will the winter rate be cheaper than the summer rate?
Recent history says lower, not low. The non-summer price from October 2025 through May 2026 was 9.689¢ per kWh, below the 10.399¢ in effect this summer. PJM capacity costs are locked at the auction cap through the 2028/2029 delivery year, which ends May 31, 2029, so elevated is the working assumption.
Does ComEd profit when the supply price goes up?
No. ComEd passes the cost of electricity supply through to customers without a markup; its earnings come from delivery service. That is why the Price to Compare moves with procurement and auction results rather than with ComEd's own margins.
Does the federal solar tax credit still cover 30%?
Not for a homeowner buying their own system. The federal residential credit ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025. A separate business-side credit runs on its own timeline — projects that began construction before July 4, 2026 generally have a longer runway, while newer starts must be in service by December 31, 2027 under stricter sourcing rules. Ask any company in writing whether the specific offer in front of you still qualifies.
Does solar lock in my electricity rate?
Not exactly. Solar does not freeze ComEd's Price to Compare; it changes how many kilowatt-hours you buy at whatever that price becomes. Systems interconnected on or after January 1, 2025 also receive supply-only net metering credits in Illinois, so the delivery portion of your bill remains.
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Sources
- Plug In Illinois — ComEd Price to Compare (Illinois Commerce Commission) — current summer figure, transmission component, monthly adjustment
- ComEd — Purchased Electricity Charges Informational Sheet (PDF) (supplement to Rate BES and Rider PE, Ill. C.C. No. 10) — the summer-month definition
- Citizens Utility Board — summer 2026 price alert (May 21, 2026)
- Citizens Utility Board — why the ComEd price is rising (June 10, 2026)
- Citizens Utility Board — non-summer price announcement (October 1, 2025) — the 9.689¢ figure
- PJM Interconnection — 2026/2027 Base Residual Auction results (July 22, 2025)
- PJM Interconnection — 2027/2028 Base Residual Auction results (announced December 17, 2025)
- PJM Interconnection — 2028/2029 Base Residual Auction results (announced July 14, 2026)
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "When does ComEd's electricity rate change in October 2026?", theday.company/answers/comed-rate-reset-october-2026, last reviewed July 30, 2026.
Changelog: July 2026 — v1 published; v2 added PJM's 2028/2029 capacity auction result and extended the capacity-cost horizon to May 2029.