Why is my electric bill so high in 2026?
You’re not imagining it — Illinois electric bills jumped, and the reasons are public record. Here’s exactly why ComEd and Ameren rates spiked, whether it’s likely to last, and what you can actually do about it. No spin, every number sourced.
The increases are real — and documented.
This isn’t a vibe. Illinois’ own consumer watchdog has the numbers in writing.
Figures are point-in-time, last reviewed June 2026 — ComEd Price to Compare and Ameren summer Price to Compare. Sources: CUB & Plug In Illinois.
Three forces pushed your supply rate up.
In plain English — here’s what’s actually behind the number on your bill.
1. The PJM capacity auction spiked
Before power is ever generated, grid operators pay to guarantee enough supply will be available on the hottest, highest-demand days — that’s the “capacity” market. In the PJM region that serves ComEd, the auction price jumped from $28.92 to a record $269.92 per MW-day — nearly tenfold. That cost flows straight through to your supply rate. CUB →
2. Demand is rising — including data centers
New large electricity users, especially data centers powering AI and cloud computing, are adding demand to a grid that hasn’t added supply as quickly. When demand outpaces supply, the cost of guaranteeing capacity climbs — a big part of why the auction above spiked. CUB →
3. Two different grids, same direction
ComEd sits on the PJM grid (northern Illinois); Ameren sits on the separate MISO grid (central and southern Illinois). They run different auctions and rates — but both saw supply prices climb into 2026. So whichever utility you have, the pressure is real. CUB →
Honest answer: this looks structural, not a one-time blip.
Capacity prices are set in multi-year auctions, and the demand pressure behind them isn’t expected to ease overnight. That doesn’t mean your bill rises every single month — rates move up and down — but the underlying trend has been upward, and the forces driving it are long-term. We won’t predict an exact future number for you; the point is simpler: this is worth planning around, not waiting out.
You can’t set the capacity-auction price or how many data centers connect to the grid. What you can influence is how exposed your household is to those rates — by reducing how much electricity you buy from the utility in the first place.
Start with the free moves. Then the real lever.
In order of effort — the first two cost nothing, the third is the one that changes your exposure.
Generate your own power, so rate hikes matter less.
Every kilowatt-hour you produce on your own roof is one you’re not buying at a rate that keeps climbing — and a battery lets you store it for the expensive hours and for outages. It’s the one move that structurally lowers how exposed you are to the spikes above. Whether it pencils out depends on your home, which is exactly what a quick review checks.
- See the honest math first: is solar worth it in Illinois in 2026?
- And what still lowers the cost: Illinois solar incentives for 2026.
- And the federal-credit reality: did the solar tax credit end?
Put a number on staying on the rate-hike treadmill.
Here’s the part that makes it concrete. The calculator below estimates what your next 25 years of bills could cost at a rate increase you choose — and how much solar and battery could offset. It’s an honest estimate using public Illinois rate data, not a quote.
See what doing nothing could cost you.
Match it to your home and watch the chart move. Every figure is an honest estimate — and you control every assumption behind it.
A starting estimate from typical Illinois usage. Know your real bill? Switch to “I know my bill” for a closer number.
An assumption you control — not a prediction. Illinois supply prices recently jumped far more than this in a single year.
The share of your power a well-sized system might cover. Most good-fit homes land near 80–100%.
(estimate, before system cost)
How these estimates work. Figures are illustrative estimates, not a quote, guarantee, or promise of savings. The 25-year cost compounds your monthly bill at the annual increase you select. The “offset” figure is the gross share of that utility cost a system might cover — capped at 100% of your bill, and it does not include system price, financing, taxes, or incentives, which a full review covers. System size is a rough estimate using standard Illinois solar production. When estimating from home size, we assume typical Illinois usage of about 0.40 kWh per sq ft each month for gas-heated homes and 0.75 for electric-heated homes, at an estimated all-in rate of ~16.5¢/kWh (ComEd) or ~15.5¢/kWh (Ameren). Your real numbers depend on your home, roof, shade, usage, system design, and final terms. Rate data last reviewed June 2026 — sources: Plug In Illinois and the Citizens Utility Board.
That number isn’t fixed — how exposed you are to it is the part you can change.
If the math above gave you pause, the next step is simple: a quick, no-obligation check of whether producing your own power makes sense for your specific roof and usage. No quote, no pressure — just a straight answer for your address.
Check my eligibility →Who’s affected — and how the math differs.
Both utilities raised supply prices into 2026, but they sit on different grids with different rates. Here’s the quick comparison.
ComEd PJM grid
- RegionNorthern Illinois (Chicago and suburbs), on the PJM grid.
- Supply price (Price to Compare)10.399¢/kWh, effective June 1, 2026 — roughly 47% above the prior year.
- What drove itThe PJM capacity auction spiking from $28.92 to $269.92 per MW-day flows directly into this rate.
Ameren MISO grid
- RegionCentral and southern Illinois, on the separate MISO grid.
- Supply price (Price to Compare)11.326¢/kWh summer — about 39% above summer 2024.
- What drove itA different grid and auction, but the same supply-and-demand pressure pushing prices up.
Rates are Price to Compare, last reviewed June 2026. Sources: Plug In Illinois & CUB. The Day Company is not affiliated with either utility.
Your high Illinois bill, explained.
Why did my ComEd or Ameren bill spike in 2026? +
Mostly the supply side — the cost of electricity itself, not your usage. A record PJM capacity-auction price (the cost of guaranteeing grid supply) jumped from $28.92 to $269.92 per MW-day, rising demand including from data centers added pressure, and supply rates climbed for both utilities. ComEd’s price ran about 47% above the prior year; Ameren’s summer price about 39% above 2024.
Will Illinois electric rates keep rising? +
No one can promise an exact future rate, but the pressure looks structural rather than a one-time blip: capacity prices are set in multi-year auctions and the demand driving them isn’t expected to ease quickly. Rates move up and down month to month, but the underlying trend has been upward — which is why it’s worth planning around.
What is the PJM capacity auction? +
It’s how the regional grid operator (PJM, which serves ComEd) pays generators to guarantee enough power will be available on peak-demand days. When that auction price rises, the cost flows into your supply rate. In the latest auction it jumped nearly tenfold, from $28.92 to a record $269.92 per MW-day.
Is switching electricity suppliers a good idea? +
Sometimes, but be careful. Alternative-supplier offers can start low and reset to higher variable rates, and Illinois’ consumer watchdog warns homeowners to beware of bad alternative-supplier deals. Always compare any offer against your utility’s Price to Compare and read the contract terms before switching.
Can solar lock in my electricity rate? +
Solar doesn’t freeze the utility’s rate, but it reduces how much power you buy at that rate — so future increases affect a smaller share of your usage. Paired with a battery, you can store your own power for expensive hours and outages. Whether it makes sense depends on your home, roof, and usage.
ComEd vs Ameren — who pays more? +
They’re close, and both rose into 2026. As of June 2026, ComEd’s Price to Compare is about 10.399¢/kWh and Ameren’s summer price about 11.326¢/kWh. They sit on different grids (PJM vs MISO) with different auctions, so the exact figures and timing differ — confirm your own rate with your utility.
See if you can stop renting power at a rising rate.
You can’t control the capacity auction — but you can check whether generating your own power makes sense for your home. The next step is a quick, no-obligation eligibility check for your specific ComEd or Ameren address.