{"id":43798,"date":"2025-10-01T11:21:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T16:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/?p=43798"},"modified":"2025-10-01T16:44:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T21:44:41","slug":"new-comed-electricity-price-still-elevated-but-cub-warns-consumers-to-beware-of-bad-alternative-supplier-deals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/10\/01\/new-comed-electricity-price-still-elevated-but-cub-warns-consumers-to-beware-of-bad-alternative-supplier-deals\/","title":{"rendered":"New ComEd Electricity Price Still Elevated, But CUB Warns Consumers to Beware of Bad Alternative Supplier Deals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After an expensive summer, Commonwealth Edison\u2019s new supply price has dropped slightly but is still about 47 percent higher than last year, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/20251001-ComEd-Fall-Price-News-Release-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Wednesday<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though ComEd\u2019s price is elevated, the watchdog urged consumers to review the \u201cSupply\u201d section of their bills to confirm they are not overpaying with an expensive alternative supplier offer,\u00a0including offers negotiated by local governments.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>ComEd\u2019s new non-summer power price (from October 2025 through May 2026):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a09.689\u00a2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (Appears as 0.09689 on bills.)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The price above includes the supply price plus a transmission charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While ComEd\u2019s price is down slightly from what it was this past summer (about 10.03\u00a2 per kWh), it\u2019s still up about 47 percent from what it was last October. Overall, ComEd has estimated the price increase will cost customers an average of 10-15 percent, or $10.60, more per month\u2014but the impact can be much higher for individual customers, depending on factors such as weather.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In northern Illinois, consumers can choose to stay with ComEd for supply or go with an alternative supplier. Among the choices in the market, many communities have &#8220;municipal aggregation&#8221; offers that local leaders have negotiated with an alternative supplier.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even with the elevated ComEd price, CUB warned customers of bad alternative supplier deals and stressed that it is likely ComEd is the best bet for supply. A\u00a0<strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/08\/11\/grim-milestone-cub-review-of-state-data-finds-comed-ameren-residential-customers-have-lost-more-than-2-billion-to-alternative-power-suppliers-over-last-decade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/08\/11\/grim-milestone-cub-review-of-state-data-finds-comed-ameren-residential-customers-have-lost-more-than-2-billion-to-alternative-power-suppliers-over-last-decade\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759421241260000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0qi93Zk5f9W60A_wikYZ_x\">CUB review<\/a><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0of state electricity choice reports revealed Illinois consumers have lost more than $2 billion to alternative suppliers over the last decade.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cComEd\u2019s price is painfully high, but customers should beware of bad deals peddled by alternative suppliers,\u201d CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. \u201cEven in this market it is likely that ComEd is your best bet for supply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ComEd price spike is connected to an increase in the price for reserve power, also called \u201ccapacity.\u201d CUB argues that capacity costs have skyrocketed largely because of increased energy demand from data centers and policy problems with the power grid operator for northern Illinois, PJM Interconnection, which runs an auction to determine the price of capacity. Among other things, the grid operator takes far too long to connect new power sources\u2014wind, solar and battery projects\u2014to the grid so they can help lower prices, CUB argues.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moskowitz said there is an urgent need for continued reforms at PJM, but also for Illinois to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act in the General Assembly\u2019s Fall Veto Session. The act is comprehensive energy legislation that would, among other things, expand energy efficiency programs and bring more battery storage to the grid\u2013improvements essential to lowering power prices. \u201cIllinois must pass the CRGA Act to avoid painful price spikes well into the future,\u201d Moskowitz said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CUB provided additional tips:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>How do I know if I\u2019m with an alternative supplier? <\/strong>If you\u2019re with an alternative supplier, you will still get a bill from ComEd, with the alternative supplier charges included. To see if you\u2019re with another supplier and what per kWh rate you\u2019re paying, look in the \u201cSupply\u201d sections of your ComEd bill. If a company other than ComEd is listed, you are with an alternative supplier.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the alternative supplier is charging you a higher rate than the ComEd price listed above, call the alternative supplier using the phone number that is listed in the \u201cSupply\u201d section. If you think you were fraudulently signed up, tell the supplier you want a refund. If you don\u2019t like the supplier\u2019s response, file a complaint with CUB, at\u00a0<strong>1-800-669-5556<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>What part of the bill is impacted by this change?<\/strong> Supply, which is the cost of the actual electricity. This makes up about a half to two-thirds of bills. ComEd does not profit off these charges: Under law it is required to pass supply costs onto customers with no markup. (ComEd does profit off another part of the bill: \u201cDelivery.\u201d The utility is trying to raise those delivery charges by $268.6 million by the end of the year in a case before the Illinois Commerce Commission.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The summer price spike was softened a bit by relief from the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). Illinois\u2019 landmark energy law requires a line item on ComEd bills called the Carbon Free Energy Resource Adjustment (CFERA) to subsidize energy generated by nuclear power plants in Illinois. But consumer advocates pushed for a provision that changes the charge to a credit when energy prices go above a certain level.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>If consumers are struggling to afford their bills, what are their options?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Learn about energy assistance.<\/strong>\u00a0Certain income-qualified consumers can apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) beginning Oct. 1. To learn more about LIHEAP and if you qualify, visit\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www2.illinois.gov\/dceo\/CommunityServices\/HomeWeatherization\/CommunityActionAgencies\/Pages\/HelpIllinoisFamilies.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www2.illinois.gov\/dceo\/CommunityServices\/HomeWeatherization\/CommunityActionAgencies\/Pages\/HelpIllinoisFamilies.aspx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759421241260000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2c-uedE2w3wnq8pD-om9a9\">www.helpillinoisfamilies.com<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0or call the Help Illinois Families Assistance Line at\u00a0<strong>1-833-711-0374<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Practice energy efficiency. <\/strong>Simple things like weatherizing windows and doors can help make utility bills more affordable. But don\u2019t take risks that keep your home too hot or too cold and threaten your health. Efficiency is about eliminating waste but keeping your home safe, no matter the weather.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Stay in contact with your utility.<\/strong> Consumers who are struggling should contact ComEd to inquire about payment options that give them a longer time to pay off debt and learn about energy efficiency programs.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>If you\u2019re interested in installing solar panels, consider the next steps. <\/strong>Learn more about\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/introduction-to-rooftop-solar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/introduction-to-rooftop-solar\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759421241260000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kTR4Z6H01h5kN8jvfQNWH\">rooftop solar<\/a><\/strong>. Also,\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/ilsfa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/ilsfa\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759421241260000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3axeZPMeFZ9PQ5M5uZSccR\">CUB has information<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0about income-qualified solar programs.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>If solar panels aren\u2019t possible, consider a community solar deal to help ease costs.<\/strong>\u00a0Community solar offers currently guarantee savings compared to the utility\u2019s supply price. But be a careful shopper: Get more information at our special website,\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/solar-in-the-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/solar-in-the-community\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759421241260000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2wgj4lWcF8mSffWoioWPB7\">SolarInTheCommunity.com<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information about electricity prices, visit\u00a0<strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/welcome-cubs-help-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/welcome-cubs-help-center\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759421241260000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0icxE5y92ytwqp6Tj6ysvr\">CUBHelpCenter.com<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After an expensive summer, Commonwealth Edison\u2019s new supply price has dropped slightly but is still about 47 percent higher than last year, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Wednesday. Even though ComEd\u2019s price is elevated, the watchdog urged consumers to review the \u201cSupply\u201d section of their bills to confirm they are not overpaying with an expensive alternative supplier offer,\u00a0including offers negotiated by local governments. ComEd\u2019s new non-summer power price (from October 2025 through May 2026): \u00a09.689\u00a2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (Appears as 0.09689 on bills.) The price above includes the supply price plus a transmission charge. While ComEd\u2019s price is down slightly from what it was this past summer (about 10.03\u00a2 per kWh), it\u2019s still up about 47 percent from what it was last October. Overall, ComEd has estimated the price increase will cost customers an average of 10-15 percent, or $10.60, more per month\u2014but the impact can be much higher for individual customers, depending on factors such as weather. In northern Illinois, consumers can choose to stay with ComEd for supply or go with an alternative supplier. Among the choices in the market, many communities have &#8220;municipal aggregation&#8221; offers that local leaders have negotiated with an alternative supplier. Even with the elevated ComEd price, CUB warned customers of bad alternative supplier deals and stressed that it is likely ComEd is the best bet for supply. A\u00a0CUB review\u00a0of state electricity choice reports revealed Illinois consumers have lost more than $2 billion to alternative suppliers over the last decade. \u201cComEd\u2019s price is painfully high, but customers should beware of bad deals peddled by alternative suppliers,\u201d CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. \u201cEven in this market it is likely that ComEd is your best bet for supply.\u201d The ComEd price spike is connected to an increase in the price for reserve power, also called \u201ccapacity.\u201d CUB argues that capacity costs have skyrocketed largely because of increased energy demand from data centers and policy problems with the power grid operator for northern Illinois, PJM Interconnection, which runs an auction to determine the price of capacity. Among other things, the grid operator takes far too long to connect new power sources\u2014wind, solar and battery projects\u2014to the grid so they can help lower prices, CUB argues. Moskowitz said there is an urgent need for continued reforms at PJM, but also for Illinois to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act in the General Assembly\u2019s Fall Veto Session. The act is comprehensive energy legislation that would, among other things, expand energy efficiency programs and bring more battery storage to the grid\u2013improvements essential to lowering power prices. \u201cIllinois must pass the CRGA Act to avoid painful price spikes well into the future,\u201d Moskowitz said. CUB provided additional tips: How do I know if I\u2019m with an alternative supplier? If you\u2019re with an alternative supplier, you will still get a bill from ComEd, with the alternative supplier charges included. To see if you\u2019re with another supplier and what per kWh rate you\u2019re paying, look in the \u201cSupply\u201d sections of your ComEd bill. If a company other than ComEd is listed, you are with an alternative supplier. If [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[299,1176],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-43798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comed","category-electric-rates","tag-comed"],"cp_meta_data":{"_facebook_share_type":["default"],"_twitter_share_type":["default"],"_linkedin_share_type":["default"],"_pinterest_share_type":["default"],"_instagram_share_type":["default"],"_medium_share_type":["default"],"_threads_share_type":["default"],"_google_business_share_type":["default"],"_wpsp_custom_templates":["a:7:{s:8:\"facebook\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:7:\"twitter\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:8:\"linkedin\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:9:\"pinterest\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:9:\"instagram\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:6:\"medium\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:7:\"threads\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}}"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1759355092:5"],"_edit_last":["5"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"borntogive_page_header_show_hide":["2"],"borntogive_pages_title_show":["1"],"borntogive_pages_Choose_slider_display":["2"],"borntogive_pages_select_revolution_from_list":["3"],"borntogive_pages_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_effects":["fade"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_social_show":["1"],"borntogive_strict_no_sidebar":["0"],"borntogive_sidebar_columns_layout":["3"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_effects":["fade"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":[""],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":["off"],"_wpsp_is_facebook_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_twitter_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_linkedin_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_pinterest_share":["off"],"_selected_social_profile":["a:0:{}"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["299"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["5"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43798"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43808,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43798\/revisions\/43808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}