Average Electric Bill in Illinois
The average electric bill in Illinois is about $172.98 a month — roughly $2075.76 a year — at the state average rate of 19.22 ¢/kWh. That's about $98.28 a year more than the typical U.S. household pays. That's based on 900 kWh of monthly use at the all-in average rate — delivery, fixed charges, and utility fees are already inside it; locally billed taxes vary by area.
Key metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Illinois average rate | 19.22 ¢/kWh |
| Estimated monthly bill | $172.98 |
| Estimated annual bill | $2075.76 |
| 500 kWh example | $96.10 |
| 1,500 kWh example | $288.30 |
Illinois vs U.S. average bill
Illinois's typical residential bill estimate is higher than the U.S. average by $8.19 per month (5.0%).
Is this what you'll actually pay?
It's a fair benchmark, not a forecast. We take Illinois's average rate of 19.22 ¢/kWh and apply it to 900 kWh a month at the all-in average rate, which comes to $172.98. That rate already includes delivery, fixed charges, and utility fees; locally billed taxes vary by area.
Your own bill can land well above or below that, depending on how much you run the air conditioning, how you heat your home and water, your home's size, and how your utility designs its rates.
Rates are the EIA's July 2026 residential averages; this page's figures were last refreshed Sep 28, 2026 (UTC).
Average electric bill by home size in Illinois
The 900 kWh benchmark sits between an apartment and a medium home. At Illinois's rate, an apartment using 650 kWh runs about $130.23 a month and a large home using 1,600 kWh about $292.69.
| Home size | Typical usage | Monthly bill | Annual bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment in Illinois | 650 kWh/month | $130.23 | $1562.73 |
| Small Home in Illinois | 900 kWh/month | $172.98 | $2075.76 |
| Medium Home in Illinois | 1,200 kWh/month | $224.28 | $2691.40 |
| Large Home in Illinois | 1,600 kWh/month | $292.69 | $3512.25 |
Rows other than the benchmark use a two-part model, a fixed monthly charge plus a per-kWh rate, that matches the statewide average exactly at the benchmark usage. Open a profile for the assumptions behind it.
Usage-level bill examples in Illinois
| Monthly usage | Estimated cost | Canonical page |
|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $96.10 | How much does 500 kWh cost in Illinois? |
| 1,000 kWh | $192.20 | How much does 1,000 kWh cost in Illinois? |
| 1,500 kWh | $288.30 | How much does 1,500 kWh cost in Illinois? |
| 2,000 kWh | $384.40 | How much does 2,000 kWh cost in Illinois? |
These pages answer fixed-usage questions like "how much does 1,000 kWh cost?"
What usually moves a household bill?
In practice, the biggest bill drivers are air conditioning, space heating, electric water heating, laundry, EV charging, and the length of time high-wattage appliances run each month.
Want to see where your money actually goes? The usage-cost pages show what a whole-home kWh pattern costs, and the appliance pages break down how individual devices add up.
If this month's bill jumped, start with why is my electric bill so high?, which separates rate causes from usage causes line by line.
Rate design is the other half: ComEd's standard residential tariff adds a $19.07 fixed monthly charge before the first kilowatt-hour. See the itemized charges for Illinois.
Average electric bills in Illinois cities
City pages apply the same 900 kWh benchmark to each city's modeled rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electric bill in Illinois?
Illinois households pay about $172.98 a month ($2075.76 a year) at the state average of 19.22 ¢/kWh, based on 900 kWh of monthly use and the EIA's July 2026 residential data. The rate is all-in: delivery, fixed charges, and utility fees are already inside it; locally billed taxes vary by area.
How does Illinois compare with the U.S. average electric bill?
The U.S. average bill at 900 kWh is about $164.79 (18.31 ¢/kWh, EIA). Illinois's $172.98 is about $8.19 a month more — roughly 5% above the U.S. average.
How much is the electric bill for an apartment vs a house in Illinois?
At Illinois's average rate, about $130.23 for an apartment (650 kWh), $172.98 for a small home (900 kWh), $224.28 for a medium home (1,200 kWh), $292.69 for a large home (1,600 kWh) per month. Figures for usage other than the benchmark use a two-part model, a fixed monthly charge plus a per-kWh rate, that matches the statewide average exactly at the benchmark usage.
Why is my Illinois electric bill higher than the average?
Usage is the biggest reason: air conditioning, electric heat, and water heating can push a home far past 900 kWh a month. Rate design matters too. In Illinois, ComEd's standard residential tariff carries a $19.07 fixed monthly charge plus 6.68¢/kWh in riders, so a low-usage home pays more per kWh than the average implies and a high-usage home pays less.
See your exact bill in Illinois
Set your own usage to match your home — fees included. Then compare the retail plans available in Illinois.
Know when Illinois rates change
Illinois rates move with each monthly EIA update. Get an email when electricity costs in Illinois gets cheaper — or more expensive.
Illinois appliance electricity examples
- Space Heater cost in Illinois — See what 1,500 W of typical space heater usage looks like at 19.22 ¢/kWh.
- Heat Pump cost in Illinois — See what 3,000 W of typical heat pump usage looks like at 19.22 ¢/kWh.
- Electric Fireplace cost in Illinois — See what 1,400 W of typical electric fireplace usage looks like at 19.22 ¢/kWh.
State cost and bill pathways for Illinois
- Illinois electricity price per kWh — What a kWh of electricity costs in Illinois
- Illinois electricity rates & prices — Core authority page with statewide pricing context
- Illinois electricity cost analysis — State-level cost, affordability, and value overview
- Chicago electricity estimate (Illinois) — City electricity page with methodology notes where city coverage is available
- Average electric bill in Illinois — What a typical monthly bill looks like
- Illinois household bill estimator — Estimate your bill from your monthly usage
Historical and trend pages
- Illinois electricity price history — Historical context and trend interpretation
- Electricity inflation in Illinois — State electricity inflation analysis
- Illinois electricity price volatility — Volatility and rate movement profile
Fixed-usage and calculator pathways
- 800 kWh cost in Illinois — Cost for this usage amount in the same state
- Electricity cost for 1,000 kWh in Illinois — Cost for this usage amount in the same state
- 750 kWh cost in Illinois — Cost for this usage amount in the same state
- Illinois electricity cost calculator — Custom kWh and scenario cost calculation
Appliance and estimator pathways
- Refrigerator cost in Illinois — Appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Refrigerator calculator in Illinois — Calculator page for adjusting wattage and usage for this appliance
- Space Heater cost in Illinois — Appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Space Heater calculator in Illinois — Calculator page for adjusting wattage and usage for this appliance
- Window Ac cost in Illinois — Appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Window Ac calculator in Illinois — Calculator page for adjusting wattage and usage for this appliance
State comparison pathways for Illinois
- Illinois electricity comparisons — State-to-state comparison hub
- Illinois vs California electricity cost — Head-to-head comparison page
- Illinois vs Florida electricity cost — Head-to-head comparison page
Discovery and navigation hubs
- Illinois electricity hub — Guide to this state's electricity rate, usage, comparison, and tool pages
- Electricity cost scenario hub — Entry point for residential and industry scenario pages
- Illinois electricity cost overview — State-level electricity cost page with rates and typical bill context
- Average electric bill in Illinois — Typical monthly bill estimate using a standard household usage assumption
- Illinois electricity bill estimator — Household profile bill scenarios for this state
- Electricity usage hubs — Browse cost pages by common household usage tiers
Consumer electricity drivers
- Price drivers in Illinois — Understand what influences state electricity prices
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. Updated: July 2026. Estimates use the EIA all-in average residential rate — energy, delivery, fixed charges, and utility fees together, not just the electricity itself. Fees are inside the rate, not an extra on top; how your own bill splits fixed versus per-kWh charges varies by utility. For what's inside the all-in rate, see hidden electricity fees; for how rates and estimates are defined, see the methodology hub.