Home / Illinois

Illinois Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector.

Residential
19.32¢ /kWh
▲ 7.0%vs. last year
Commercial
14.67¢ /kWh
▲ 5.2%vs. last year
Industrial
11.33¢ /kWh
▲ 4.9%vs. last year

Data current through August 2026 — the latest available from the U.S. EIA, which publishes monthly figures on a roughly two-month delay.

Average monthly bill

Full bill breakdown →
$132per month▲ 8.5% vs. the year before

18.92¢/kWh × 699 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to August 2026 — the 38th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
Illinois
$132
U.S. average
$158
Indiana
$159
Kentucky
$155
Missouri
$147
Wisconsin
$125
Iowa
$121

Illinois is $26 a month below (-16.5%) the U.S. average of $158. Average monthly bill, September 2025 – August 2026.

How Illinois makes its electricity

Fuel mix & trend since 2001 →Power plants →
Renewable
18.2%
Carbon-free
67.5%
Largest source
Nuclear 49%
Illinois electricity generation by source, September 2025 – August 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas17.3%34,003 GWh
Coal14.9%29,215 GWh
Nuclear49.3%96,646 GWh
Wind13.3%26,159 GWh
Solar4.7%9,277 GWh
Hydro0.0%24 GWh
Other0.4%787 GWh

196.1 TWh of net generation over the 12 months to August 2026. Generation, not consumption — power crosses state lines.

Illinois electricity prices in context

Illinois residential electricity costs 19.32¢/kWh as of August 2026, ranking 18th among the 50 states and DC when counting down from the most expensive. This is 1.16¢/kWh above the US average of 18.16¢/kWh. Among bordering states, only Wisconsin at 19.41¢/kWh is higher; Iowa stands at 17.06¢/kWh, Indiana at 17.02¢/kWh, Missouri at 16.02¢/kWh, and Kentucky at 13.80¢/kWh.

The rate has climbed sharply over recent years. Since August 2021 it has risen 50.4%, from 12.85¢/kWh. Over the longer view since August 2006, it has more than doubled, increasing 116.6% from 8.92¢/kWh. The record high came in May 2026 at 23.85¢/kWh, while the low since records began in January 2001 stands at 7.27¢/kWh, set in January 2005.

The average Illinois household pays $132 monthly for 699 kWh, well below the national average bill of $158 for 876 kWh. This reflects notably lower usage despite the above-average rate. Commercial and industrial rates stand at 14.67¢/kWh and 11.33¢/kWh respectively, both tracking between residential and national levels across rate classes.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
5¢10¢15¢20¢25¢Sep '25Dec '25Mar '26May '26Aug '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Price history since 2001

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
0¢5¢10¢15¢20¢25¢Jan '01Jun '07Nov '13Mar '20Aug '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Average retail price in all three sectors, every month since January 2001.

Residential

Jan '01
7.53¢
Now
19.32¢
Change
▲ 156.6%
Range
7.27–23.85¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
August 202619.3214.6711.33
July 202619.2215.1911.87
June 202619.8914.5310.92
May 202623.8515.3710.16
April 202620.4713.899.73
March 202618.8613.079.19
February 202617.8313.339.62
January 202616.3612.2810.27
December 202517.0712.4210.10
November 202518.3113.229.96
October 202518.7413.6610.31
September 202519.0514.0410.75

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in Illinois?
Residential electricity in Illinois costs 19.32¢ per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, the 18th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 14.67¢ and industrial customers 11.33¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity expensive in Illinois?
Illinois's residential rate of 19.32¢/kWh is +6.9% versus the U.S. average of 18.07¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical Illinois home consumes 699 kWh a month against a national average of 876 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $132.
›Have electricity prices in Illinois gone up?
Residential electricity in Illinois has risen 156.6% since 2001, reaching 19.32¢/kWh in August 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +7.0%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring Illinois?
Of the states bordering Illinois, Iowa has the lowest average monthly bill at $121 and Indiana the highest at $159. Illinois averages $132 a month, against a U.S. average of $158.