Electric companies in Peoria, IL: Ameren delivers, and your supplier may be Homefield

Ameren Illinois is the electric company for Peoria homes: it delivers the power and sends the bill. The power itself may come from someone else. Think of two parts. One part is delivery: the poles, the wires and the meter. The other part is supply: the power itself. Delivery always comes from Ameren. Supply is the part you can shop.

If the power goes out, call Ameren, not your supplier. Ameren owns the lines, so only Ameren can fix them. Homefield's own FAQ says the same thing.

1. Find your latest Ameren billUse the paper copy or log in at AmerenIllinois.com.
2. Open the "Electric Supply" partIt names your supplier and shows the price per kWh.
3. Note your useWrite down the kWh for a typical winter month.
4. CompareType the price and use into the tool below.

Want to know if your bill is normal for an Ameren home? Our Illinois average bill guide shows what homes pay each month.

The tool below does one thing. It takes the supply price from your bill and your use in kWh. Then it tells you whether you pay more or less than Ameren's price to compare. It does not guess your price, and it does not send what you type anywhere.

If it says you pay more, that gap is about what you lose each month by staying, while both prices hold. Treat it as a guide: taxes, fees and delivery charges stay the same whoever sells you the power.

Peoria voters passed a ballot measure in 2012 that let the City and the County buy power for residents as a group. Homes inside the city limits and in unincorporated Peoria County are sent a letter. If you do nothing, you are signed up. That is the rule for this kind of program in Illinois.

Those rules come from Homefield's FAQ and the County's notice. Homes with overdue bills may also be left out. If you are not sure, look at your bill. The supplier name is printed there.

Ameren sets a price to compare. It is what you pay for supply if you choose no one else. From October 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, the Illinois Commerce Commission lists it at 10.441¢ per kWh for the first 800 kWh a month. Every kWh above 800 costs 8.262¢. We last read those numbers on October 25, 2026.

The price to compare is a yardstick. A supplier's plan beats it only if the supplier's price, plus any monthly fee, is lower at your use. The price changes again in January 2027, when Ameren resets its transmission charge. Our guide on why Ameren bills are so high shows how the 800 kWh step works. For Ameren and ComEd prices side by side, see Illinois electric rates.

Three public papers gave three prices for the same program: 13.29¢, 13.9¢ and about 10.7¢. Homefield's contract for Peoria settles it. It lists three fixed prices, one after the other, and none has a fee to leave. The last one is the one on bills now.

That is 2.85¢ above Ameren's price to compare for the first 800 kWh, and 5.03¢ above it for use over 800 kWh. The gap is our math: the program price minus Ameren's. A person last read Homefield's contract on October 25, 2026. Homefield's own FAQ says savings are not guaranteed, and they happen only in months when the program price is below the utility's.

The City and County papers came from local governments. Homefield's contract is the supplier's own legal paper. If your bill shows a different price, call Homefield at 1-866-694-1262. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central.

A group price should help most when the utility's price jumps. The record is mixed. We found program and Ameren numbers for four stretches.

The gap is our math from the sources listed below. Three things stand out. First, the supplier on the program has changed. In 2023 it was Energy Harbor, and in 2025 it was Homefield. Second, the City said this spring that the program was "still expected" to cost less than Ameren in summer 2026. The October 2026 price is a different story. Third, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) reviewed the state's list in August 2026. It found 245 of 259 community deals in Ameren territory cost more than Ameren's price. Homefield holds 187 of those 259 and averages 0.6¢ above Ameren. CUB's advice is plain: do not assume your town's deal will save you money.

You can leave at any time, with no fee. Homefield's FAQ says so, and the state's Plug In Illinois site says suppliers in these programs may not charge homes a fee or penalty to leave. You have three ways to go from here.

The City's page says that if this was your first time opting out, you wait until December 2026 to opt back in. If you opted out earlier for at least 12 months, you can opt in at any time. Rules like these can change with each new term, so read the letter you get.

The program has an end date. This term runs through your June 2027 meter read, per Homefield's contract. When a supplier is chosen for a new term, it sends opt-out notices to residents, the state's Plug In Illinois site says. That letter is your next easy chance to opt out.

Whether you stay or switch, the same few things can turn a good price bad.

A $5 monthly fee on 800 kWh adds about 0.6¢ to every kWh. A plan that looks 0.5¢ cheaper than Ameren can end up costing more. The tool above adds the fee for you. Ask the supplier for the price after the term ends, and write the end date on your calendar.

1. Now to May 31, 2027Ameren's price to compare is 10.441¢ for the first 800 kWh and 8.262¢ above that.
2. January 2027Ameren's transmission charge resets, so its price to compare will move.
3. June 1, 2027Ameren's supply price resets again, and summer pricing returns.
4. June 2027Homefield's current term ends, per its contract. A supplier picked for a new term sends opt-out notices first.

Watch your mail for any notice about the program. Keep it, and compare its price with Ameren's before its deadline.