Everything You Need to Know About ComEd Energy
If you are moving to Illinois, you may want to start browsing for ways to save energy and save on your energy bill. ComEd Energy is the largest electric utility in the state, supplying affordable electricity to over four million Illinois residents. If you are moving to Illinois, the chances are that ComEd will be your utility. Since 1997, ComEd customers have enjoyed the benefits of energy deregulation and made significant savings on their energy bills.
What is Commonwealth Edison Energy?
Commonwealth Edison Energy, or ComEd Energy for short, is the biggest electric utility in Illinois, with headquarters in Chicago. ComEd Energy was founded back in 1907 as the Western Edison Company. Today, it belongs to Exelon Corporation and is one of the biggest utility companies in the US, delivering both electricity and natural gas to Illinois residents.
Electric Utility company Vs. Electrical Supplier
ComEd Energy is an electric utility company. This means that it is in charge of:
- Taking care of the poles and the power lines,
- Taking care of any power outages, and
- Fixing fallen power lines.
An electric utility also invests in the modernization of equipment and ensuring safe and reliable electric service for everyone. An electric supplier, on the other hand, is a company you purchase electricity from. An electric supplier:
- Buys electricity in the wholesale market,
- Sells electricity to you, preferably at low Illinois residential electric rates,
- Charges the electricity and pays out the electric utility and energy producers.
ComEd Electrical Rates
As ComEd is an electric utility, it does not offer any energy plans on its own. However, the energy providers working in the ComEd service area do. To save you time and money, we’ve come up with this table, including the 20 most popular energy plans in the ComEd service area.
| Supplier | Plan Length | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Next Era Energy | 36 Months | $0.071 / kWh |
| AEP Energy | 36 Months | $0.072 / kWh |
| FreePoint | 36 Months | $0.072 / kWh |
| Next Era Energy | 24 Months | $0.072 / kWh |
| ILG$E | 36 Months | $0.073 / kWh |
| AEP Energy | 24 Months | $0.073 / kWh |
| FreePoint | 24 Months | $0.074 / kWh |
| AEP Energy | 18 Months | $0.075 / kWh |
| ILG$E | 24 Months | $0.076 / kWh |
| Energy Harbor | 60 Months | $0.076 / kWh |
| AEP Energy | 12 Months | $0.078 / kWh |
| Next Era Energy | 12 Months | $0.078 / kWh |
| Energy Harbor | 36 Months | $0.078 / kWh |
| FreePoint | 12 Months | $0.080 / kWh |
| Energy Harbor | 24 Months | $0.081 / kWh |
| ILG$E | 12 Months | $0.083 / kWh |
| Santanna Energy Services | 15 Months | $0.086 / kWh |
| Santanna Energy Services | 12 Months | $0.087 / kWh |
| Energy Harbor | 12 Months | $0.088 / kWh |
| Vista Energy | 24 Months | $0.0887 / kWh |
Electrical Service Area
ComEd Energy service area covers most of northern Illinois. Larger cities in the ComEd area include Chicago, Naperville, Joliet, Rockford, and Aurora. ComEd area includes more than 90,000 miles of power lines and delivers electricity to more than four million residents in Illinois.
ComEd Residential Price to Compare
The ComEd service area offers the advantage of low electricity rates. Electricity prices in this area start from $0.071 onward to over $0.100 per kWh. Compared to the Illinois average of $0.01161, an average ComEd customer pays around $0.03 less for energy. Furthermore, this average rate is lower than the national average electric rate of only $0.1042 per kWh.
Understanding your ComEd Electricity Bill
Your ComEd Energy bill includes delivery service charges, electrical supply charges, as well as other fees and taxes applicable to your electric bill. Rarely does it happen that the price of electricity your energy provider advertises is the same rate you pay at the end of the month. To help you better understand your ComEd electricity bill, we’ve broken down the two most impactful items on your electric bill.
Delivery Service Charge
The delivery service charge that you can find on your electric bill is the money that is paid to the TDU (Transmission and Delivery Utility). This is the money that is used to pay the expenses of energy distribution, power line maintenance, as well as taking care of any power outages in your area. This is the money paid to ComEd.
Electrical Supply Charges
Electrical Supply Charges are the money paid out to your energy provider. Similar to the Deliver Service Charge, your electrical supply charges are calculated on the per kWh basis and include a fixed recurring charge. This is the money that is used to pay for the electricity you’ve used to the wholesale energy market. You can learn even more by taking a look at utility bill audits.
ComEd Energy Efficiency Program
The ComEd Energy efficiency program works to save you precious kilowatt-hours of energy used and reduce your energy bill. As the company got the Energy Star award seven years in a row, which is great recognition, the company continues this program, which has so far saved over 33 billion kilowatt-hours to their customers.
Commercial Programs in the Private Sector
If you are interested in commercial programs in the private sector and would like to improve the energy efficiency of your business, you can contact ComEd and get a free facility assessment. Upon assessment, you will be presented with incentives, building optimization ideas, and energy management solutions that can significantly reduce your electricity cost.
Small Business Offering
Businesses that fall under the small business category are those that have less than 200 kW of peak demand in a year. If you are a small business owner, you can contact ComEd and apply for an energy efficiency program. ComEd experts will do a free facility assessment and propose a custom project plan that can be implemented in the construction phase of business development. This program results in significant savings for their consumers, and every customer of yours will be happy to find lower prices.
Standard ComEd Incentives Program
The standard ComEd Incentives program is available to a number of business sizes. With this incentive program, your building can benefit from custom solutions, HVAC energy efficiency improvement, lab equipment, lighting solutions, and refrigeration for restaurant owners. If you are interested in solar as well, you can opt for instant discounts on battery chargers.
Instant Discounts
If you are in the private sector, you will be glad to hear that the ComEd energy efficiency program also offers instant discounts. These discounts are applicable to your lighting, battery charger units, and HVAC. Businesses that are most likely to benefit from these instant discounts include low-rise offices, small private businesses, and retail stores.
Non Profit Offering
ComEd also contributes to local charities and enables non-for-profit organizations to enter its energy efficiency program. The causes that ComEd contributes to include building a future workforce, energy empowerment in energy-insecure communities, local vitality enrichment, and access to arts and culture. The givings also aim to strengthen underrepresented communities and financially insecure prospective students.
Agricultural Offering
If you work in the agriculture sector, you are eligible to apply for the energy-saving products and energy efficiency program. Possible projects that this program can help fund include dairy refrigeration heat recovery LED grow lights, compressed air solutions, heat recovery, low-energy livestock waterers, and many more. If you would like to save on resources and increase your productivity, contact ComEd and schedule a visit to your farm.
Grocery Offering
If you own a supermarket and would like to reduce your energy consumption, you can opt for different rebate and incentive programs. With this energy efficiency program approach, you can save by lowering your operating and maintenance costs, lowering food quantity of food that goes to waste, as well as improving customer experience.
Commercial Programs in the Public Sector
Commercial energy efficiency programs are also available in the public sector. You can reap the benefits of energy optimization by a simple installation of new lighting, new Energy-Star rated appliances, and even improving insulation. Instead of paying your electric bill, you can save money and improve your energy efficiency, similar to the homeowner programs.
Small Facilities Public Sector Program
Small facilities working in the public sector include fire departments, part districts, libraries, learning institutions, and federal, state, and local government buildings. If you are in charge of one such building and would like to see if you qualify for a rebate or incentive, you can complete a simple questionnaire, and ComEd will take you from there.
Large Facilities Public Sector Program
If you own a large facility working in the public sector, you can also benefit from energy efficiency. All it takes is to schedule a visit to your facility, where our experts will estimate your energy management and spending. You can benefit from the installation of variable speed drivers, controls to the compressor system, and replacing refrigeration.
Distressed Community Program
ComEd also works to connect with distressed communities. All communities that complete the standard project are eligible for up to a 30% incentive. The completion date is usually set to 31st October in the current year. You can find the distressed communities list here.
Residential Programs
ComEd also offers residential energy efficiency programs. Under these, the energy efficiency of your home is assessed, sometimes even virtually or remotely, and you are given advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your home. You are also given a chance to purchase Energy-Star rated products.
These energy-saving products are available for both single and multi-family buildings and include:
- LED fixtures,
- Hot water pipe insulation,
- Smart thermostats for your home, and
- Certified showerheads and faucet aerators.
All of these products are free.
Multi-Family Energy Savings Program
Multi-family buildings are eligible for free energy efficiency estimation and reports. This kind of free energy assessment will give you a better idea of where to invest to save money. Many landlords have already taken advantage of this economic opportunity, as they are aware that working on electric installation and appliances can significantly reduce your power bill.
Market Rate Buildings
If you live in a market-rate building and you are interested in the energy efficiency program, you can always speak to your landlord and, with their permission, opt for energy-saving products for tenant spaces and common area improvements. These improvements include changing your incandescent lighting, air sealing, smart thermostats, hot water pipe insulation, and many more.
Public Housing and Income Eligible Buildings
The same energy efficiency program eligibility rules are valid for public housing. If you live in a building that is on the property of the state or the city you live in, you can also apply for the energy efficiency program. Here, you would again need permission from the property manager. In case you cannot do this yourself, you can contact your property manager and ask whether they would be interested in applying for the program.
Other Residential Opportunities
The energy efficiency program is also available to affordable housing developers and income-eligible homes. Under this program, you can apply for energy efficiency improvements to your home, such as the installation of energy-saving products and weatherization. Air sealing, for example, can save you up to 20% on your heating bill.
Choosing Your Own Electrical Supplier
When choosing your own electrical supplier, make sure to ask about the types of energy plans they offer, the length of the contract, if the energy usage is in any way limited in relation to the price, the pricing, and if the energy rate is limited in variable-rate energy plans. Since ComEd works in a deregulated energy market, you are very likely to find very low energy rates. Some more benefits include good customer support and innovative solutions that ensure the growth of energy suppliers.
FAQs
Can I pay my ComEd bill at Walmart?
Yes, you can pay your ComEd bill at Walmart. Walmart enables customers to pay for gas, electricity, and other utilities in their stores nationwide. Many homeowners decide to pay their bills like this because of low fees and time-saving, as bill paying and grocery shopping can be done at the same time.
How can I pay ComEd without fees?
As of 9/15/2021, any payments of ComEd bills will be without any additional fees. If it so happens that you are charged some additional fees, you will be refunded this money in 4-6 weeks. Contact ComEd for more information.
Why is my ComEd bill so high?
Sometimes, especially during particularly hot or cold periods, your energy use may skyrocket as your A/C tries to compensate for any cracks through which hot or cold air can get into your home. Also, if you had any tardy payments recently or any outstanding balance, you probably need to pay a late fee as well. Always check the reading on your energy meter before making any assumptions.
What raises electric bill the most?
Your A/C and heating systems can raise your electric bill the most. Heating, in particular, is energy-intensive. Even a small, 2 kW electric heater uses as much power as six large fridges. To understand which appliance draws the most power, you can purchase a single-outlet energy meter and spend some time measuring power consumption.
Conclusion
If you would like to move to Illinois to the ComEd service area, you will be thrilled to learn about their low electric rates and incentives and rebates offered to residential and commercial customers in their area. With these, you can not only improve the energy efficiency of your housing unit, but you can also apply for rebates on the money you’ve spent already. Furthermore, as the local energy providers compete for more customers, you will also benefit from reduced energy rates and great customer support.
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