Illinois Power

Deregulation

In the late '90s, Illinois decided to deregulate its energy market to allow consumers a choice in their supplier of electricity. More recently, since suppliers have recently been able to do their billing in conjunction with the utility, there are now many Retail Electric Suppliers (RES) providing less expensive and greener electricity alternatives for residents and businesses. Customers can still choose to receive their electric supply from the utility -- ComEd or Ameren -- or from one of these new alternative Illinois retail electric suppliers. Suppliers are often able to offer lower rates because they're able to buy electricity more frequently than the utility, and they can better estimate the amount to purchase because they have fewer customers than the much larger utilities.

If you're an Illinois resident, you've probably noticed that your electric bills are broken down into two main parts. One is supply (where your electricity originates) and the other is distribution (how it arrives to your home, via the physical power lines). When you "switch" your electricity through Power2Switch, you are simply replacing one supplier with another. Distribution will always be handled by the utility company, such as ComEd or Ameren, so there is never an interruption in service when you switch suppliers. It can be confusing to sort through all of the suppliers and plan options, and that's where we can really help. Power2Switch enables you to compare electricity providers, choose the best rate and plan for your situation, and easily make the switch through our site - all at no cost to you.

How Green is Illinois?

Based on our data, here's a breakdown of how many people are switching to green electricity plans in Illinois.

Illinoisans switching to green plans

• Completely Green: 0.8 %
• Partially Green: 16.4 %
• Traditional: 82.8 %

Another huge benefit of switching your supplier from ComEd or Ameren is the opportunity to take advantage of renewable energy. It's now possible to have your home powered entirely by electricity generated by wind farms and solar panels!

In Illinois, % of people have switched to a plan that has some renewable energy component to it. Another % have switched to a plan that is partially renewable, while % have switched to a plan that powers homes completely by renewable electricity. This of course means that % of people have remained on a plan powered by traditional sources of electricity such as coal or nuclear power.

Electricity rate history

Source Wolfram Alpha

A major question you should consider when deciding whether to switch electricity providers is: "What will happen to electric rates?" This can be a tricky question to answer as rates are perpetually in flux. In the short-term it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen to rates, but when looking at a longer term picture things become a bit more clear. Based on the graph above, electric rates in Illinois have been steadily increasing over the past decade. Assuming this trend continues, the best way to protect yourself from increasing rates is to switch into a 12-month or 24-month plan and lock into a low rate.

View more information on Illinois electric rates.

Latest News on Illinois Electricity

View Electric Rates in Illinois Cities