As of Jan. 1, ComEd and Ameren are charging new electricity rates. CUB breaks it all down.
DELIVERY RATES
What are delivery rates?
Electric bills have two parts: delivery and supply. All of us pay delivery rates to cover the utilities’ costs of sending electricity over their wires to our homes–plus a profit for the companies. Those charges take up about a third to a half of the electric bill.
Illinois sets electric delivery rates for ComEd and Ameren according to the state’s 2011 “Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act.” The law, which CUB opposed, uses a formula to determine delivery rates, and it opens the door to unfair rate hikes.
Beginning in 2024, the state’s newly passed Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) will replace formula rates with a new rate-setting system designed to give state regulators more authority in the process and put greater emphasis on affordability, reliability and sustainability. While this doesn’t mean the end of rate hikes, CUB and other consumer advocates will be involved in this new process, working to protect and maximize benefits for consumers.
In the meantime, we’re still dealing with the current system, and in December ComEd received a $45.8 million formula rate hike and Ameren a $57.6 million increase. Those increases took effect on January 1.
So what are we paying for delivery rates in 2022?
CUB dived into the tariffs and here’s what we found: Ameren’s rates are first, followed by ComEd’s rates.
Ameren:
Meter Charge: $4.76/month (formerly $4.66/month)
Monthly Customer Charge: $7.51/month (formerly $6.63/month)
EDT Cost Recovery Charge: 0.12484¢/kWh (formerly 0.11732¢/kWh)
Distribution Delivery Charge Summer:
5.550¢/kWh (formerly 5.274¢/kWh).
Distribution Delivery Charge Non-Summer:
3.249¢/kWh for the first 800 kWh used (formerly 3.087¢/kWh)
1.724¢/kWh for usage over 800 kWh (formerly 1.639¢/kWh)
ComEd:
Standard Metering Charge: $3.40/month (formerly $3.70/month)
IL Electricity Distribution Charge: 0.126 cents/kilowatt-hour (kWh) (formerly 0.123¢/kWh)
Single family homes without electric heat
Monthly Customer Charge: $10.44/month (formerly $10.48/month)
Distribution Facilities Charge: 3.926¢/kWh (formerly 3.637¢/kWh)
Multifamily homes without electric heat
Monthly Customer Charge: $7.75/month (formerly $7.65/month)
Distribution Facilities Charge: 3.155¢/kWh (formerly 2.948¢/kWh)
Single family homes with electric heat
Monthly Customer Charge: $11.95/month (formerly $11.89/month)
Distribution Facilities Charge: 1.726¢/kWh (formerly 1.755¢/kWh)
Multifamily homes with electric heat
Monthly Customer Charge: $8.43/month (formerly $8.28/month)
Distribution Facilities Charge: 1.662¢/kWh (formerly 1.784¢/kWh)
SUPPLY RATES
What are supply rates?
Supply rates cover the costs of the actual electricity. Unlike delivery charges, the utilities are not allowed to profit off the supply rate. They must pass onto customers what they pay for the electricity with no markup. Supply takes up about a half to two-thirds of your electric bill.
Note: You can opt to pay an alternative supplier for these rates–but most likely your best bet is to stay with your utility for supply. According to the state of Illinois, consumers have lost more than $1 billion to alternative electricity suppliers since 2015.
So what are the utilities charging for supply as of Jan. 1?
The utilities’ supply rates have gone up slightly in 2022.
ComEd Price to Compare:
7.802¢/kWh (formerly: 7.777¢/kWh)
Ameren Price to Compare:
0-800 kWh: 5.478¢/kWh (formerly: 5.407¢/kWh)
Above 800 kWh: 5.280¢/kWh (5.209¢/kWh)
