Commonwealth Edison

Although it can sound confusing, “deregulation” just means that a single utility company no longer has the sole power to sell energy in a single market. Instead of having to buy your energy from your local utility, you have the power to choose your plans and rates from a variety of retail suppliers or your utility. The Illinois energy market was first deregulated in 1997, allowing private suppliers to enter the market. By the late 2000s, customers across Illinois had a wide range of options. 

Rest assured, though, that deregulation is not the same as “no regulations.” The Illinois Commerce Commission oversees all public utilities in the state. If you have any issues with your supplier that can’t be resolved, you can contact the commission for help.

Because there are so many electricity companies and rate plans to choose from, you will need to carefully compare ComEd electric rates to those of other suppliers to make sure you choose the right plan for your family. Choose Energy provides everything you need to learn how deregulation works so you can select the electricity provider and plan that best fits your needs. Check out some of our helpful resources below:

ComEd electric and natural gas is your default selection if you live in its service area and don’t choose a retail supplier. To decide whether that’s the best option, you should pay attention to ComEd’s price to compare. This is the base rate you’d pay for electricity from ComEd, and you can use it to compare prices from other providers. For winter and spring of 2023, ComEd’s price per kWh is 9.665 cents.

Enter your ZIP code to see if you can beat ComEd electric prices by switching to a local energy provider.

If you’re new to deregulation, you may not know the difference between a utility and a supplier. A utility delivers your electricity and is responsible for maintaining the power lines and infrastructure. However, your supplier is the retail electric company that sells powers to you through an electric plan.

ComEd is a utility that also acts as a supplier for residents and businesses that don’t select an alternate retail provider. Either way, if you live in northern Illinois, ComEd is the right company to call to report outages, regardless of which retail supplier you use.

If you live in Commonwealth Edison’s service area, you have a range of options for electricity suppliers. Popular suppliers include Direct Energy, Public Power, and Clearview Energy. 

You may also have other options, depending on where you live. Choose Energy makes it easy to explore every available plan and rate near you. Our free, independent marketplace has provider reviews, all-inclusive rates, and easy-to-use filters to help you find the right plan for your needs. You can even compare options like solar energy or other green energy plans. Just enter your ZIP code to see a complete list of retail suppliers in your area to compare with ComEd’s current rate per kWh.

To report outages or ask questions regarding your ComEd rates per kWh and bill, here’s how to contact the utility:

• Contact ComEd via its website.
• Report an outage: Call or text 1-800-EDISON-1
• Customer service: Call 1-800-EDISON-1