ComEd vs ARES Suppliers: A Side-by-Side Cost Comparison for Illinois Small Businesses in 2025–2026

If you're a small business owner in northern Illinois, you've been making a choice about your electricity supply every month — whether you realize it or not. If you've never contacted a competitive energy supplier, you're buying your electricity through ComEd at the Illinois Power Agency's default procurement rate. And depending on what the competitive market is offering right now, that default rate may — or may not — be the best deal available.

This guide puts the numbers side by side: what ComEd's default service actually costs, how ARES electricity suppliers stack up on price and contract terms, what hidden fees and flexible plans look like in practice, and exactly how to make the switch if the math works in your favor. No hype, no scare tactics — just a clear-eyed comparison to help you make a smart decision for your business.

ComEd Default Rates vs. ARES Suppliers: What Illinois Small Businesses Are Actually Paying in 2025

Before you can compare options, you need to understand what you're currently paying and what's actually shoppable.

How ComEd's Pricing Works for Small Businesses

ComEd's small commercial customers are typically served under the Basic Electric Service (BES) or Basic Electric Service – High Density Load (BESH) rate schedule, depending on annual usage and demand levels.

Your ComEd bill has two fundamentally different cost components:

Delivery charges (not shoppable): These cover the cost of the physical infrastructure — the poles, wires, transformers, and metering systems that deliver power to your building. They also include transmission costs (for moving power across the high-voltage grid), capacity charges (for ensuring the grid has enough capacity to meet peak demand), and various state-mandated riders and programs. These charges are set by the ICC and are the same regardless of who supplies your electricity.

Supply charges (shoppable): This is the commodity cost — the actual cost of the electricity you consume. For customers who haven't chosen an ARES, this portion is supplied by the Illinois Power Agency at its procurement-determined rate: the Price to Compare (PTC).

ComEd's Price to Compare: 2025–2026

ComEd updates its PTC quarterly based on IPA procurement results. Key current figures:

Rate Period	ComEd Price to Compare (Supply Only)
Non-Summer 2025–2026	~$0.0966/kWh
Summer 2025 (Jun–Sep)	~$0.1027/kWh
Blended Annual Estimate	~$0.0985/kWh

Source: ComEd Rate Information page, updated Q1 2026. Verify current PTC at comed.com before making procurement decisions.

For a small business consuming 7,000 kWh/month (84,000 kWh/year), the annual supply cost at ComEd's blended PTC is approximately $8,274. This is your starting benchmark.

What Does the Delivery Side Add?

For a small commercial account in ComEd territory, delivery charges typically add another $0.06–$0.10/kWh, meaning your all-in cost per kWh (supply + delivery) might range from $0.155 to $0.200/kWh depending on your specific rate schedule, demand profile, and applicable riders.

This is important context: switching to an ARES supplier only affects the supply portion of your bill (~$0.0966/kWh). The delivery portion stays fixed regardless of your supply choice.

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Side-by-Side Cost Breakdown: How ARES Electricity Suppliers Stack Up Against ComEd's Price to Compare

The competitive market can offer meaningful savings — but not always, and not for every business at every moment. Here's what the typical competitive market looks like for small commercial accounts in ComEd territory in early 2026.

Typical ARES Fixed-Rate Offers: Early 2026

The following represents a market snapshot of typical offers from ARES suppliers for small commercial accounts in ComEd territory with stable 12-month usage history:

Supplier Type	Typical Fixed Rate (12-mo)	Typical Fixed Rate (24-mo)	vs. ComEd PTC
Tier 1 national supplier	$0.0895–$0.0925/kWh	$0.0905–$0.0935/kWh	Save 4–7%
Regional competitive supplier	$0.0875–$0.0910/kWh	$0.0885–$0.0920/kWh	Save 5–9%
Variable/index-based offer	$0.0820–$0.0980/kWh	N/A	Varies

Note: Rates are illustrative of the competitive market range based on early 2026 conditions. Actual quotes will vary based on your specific load profile, contract term, and market conditions at the time of solicitation. Always compare against the current PTC before committing.

The Savings Math for a Typical Small Business

Using the scenario of 84,000 kWh/year:

Scenario	Annual Supply Cost	vs. ComEd PTC	2-Year Savings
ComEd Default (PTC ~$0.0966)	$8,114	Baseline	Baseline
ARES Offer at $0.0910 (save 5.8%)	$7,644	Save $470/yr	Save $940
ARES Offer at $0.0875 (save 9.5%)	$7,350	Save $764/yr	Save $1,528
ARES Offer at $0.0840 (save 13%)	$7,056	Save $1,058/yr	Save $2,116

For a larger small business consuming 250,000 kWh/year, these percentages translate to $1,400–$3,150 in annual savings — meaningful money for any small business.

When ComEd's Default Service Wins

To be fair: there are scenarios where staying on ComEd's default service makes more sense:

• Very short-term operation: If your business is closing or relocating within 12 months, signing a multi-year fixed contract isn't worth the potential ETF risk.
• Highly variable load: If your usage fluctuates dramatically (e.g., seasonal business with nearly zero off-season consumption), the bandwidth restrictions on most fixed-rate contracts may work against you.
• Market timing: During brief periods when wholesale prices spike above the IPA's contracted PTC rate, the default service can be cheaper in the short term — though this is typically temporary.
• Administrative preference: Some very small businesses genuinely prefer the simplicity of a single utility bill with no supply contract management. This is a valid personal preference, though it typically comes at a cost.

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Hidden Fees, Fixed Rates & Flexible Plans: What Every Illinois Small Business Owner Must Know Before Choosing a Supplier

The headline rate per kWh is just the beginning. Here's the full picture of what you're evaluating when comparing ARES offers.

Understanding All-In vs. Pass-Through Pricing

All-in fixed rate: Every cost component — energy, capacity, transmission, ancillaries — is bundled into one rate that doesn't change during the contract term. What you see is what you pay.

Pass-through (energy-only) pricing: The energy commodity is fixed, but capacity charges, transmission, and other components are "passed through" at their actual cost, which can change during the contract term. This structure is more transparent but introduces variability. For most small businesses, all-in fixed pricing is simpler and more predictable.

Decoding Capacity Charges

One component of your bill deserves special attention: capacity charges. These cover the cost of ensuring the grid has enough generation capacity to meet peak demand. For ComEd customers, capacity is procured through PJM's Base Residual Auction (BRA).

The 2026/2027 BRA cleared at a historic $329.17/MW-day — a dramatic increase from prior years. This will flow through to commercial bills both on default service and in pass-through supplier contracts. All-in fixed contracts from ARES suppliers that were locked in before the auction results became public may offer meaningful protection against this cost increase.

This is one reason why timing matters in energy procurement: businesses that locked in all-in fixed rates before the auction announcement are insulated; those that didn't may face higher costs on both default service and pass-through contracts.

Fixed vs. Variable Rate: The Small Business Calculus

For small businesses, the choice between fixed and variable rates comes down to one fundamental question: how much budget volatility can your business absorb?

Variable rates can be lower than fixed rates during calm market periods — but they can also spike dramatically. A restaurant, retail shop, or small manufacturer with thin margins typically cannot absorb a 40% energy bill increase in a single month. For these businesses, a fixed rate provides essential budget protection even if it's modestly above the current variable market.

Variable rates are better suited to businesses with:

• Higher cash reserves to weather bill spikes
• Operational flexibility to curtail usage during high-price periods
• Access to real-time pricing alerts (see ComEd real-time price alerts: setup guide)

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How to Switch From ComEd to an ARES Supplier in Illinois and Start Saving on Your Business Energy Bills Today

Switching is straightforward. Here's the complete checklist for small businesses:

Step 1: Benchmark Your Current Cost

Pull your last 12 ComEd bills and calculate your average monthly kWh usage and total supply cost. Compare your effective supply rate to ComEd's current PTC.

Step 2: Request Competitive Quotes

Contact a licensed Illinois commercial energy broker or reach out directly to ARES suppliers operating in ComEd territory. Provide your ComEd account number and authorize data access for your usage history.

Step 3: Compare Offers Rigorously

For each quote received, confirm:

• All-in rate vs. pass-through structure
• Contract term and start date
• Bandwidth clause (typically ±10% to ±25%)
• Early termination fee structure
• Auto-renewal/cancellation notice requirements
• Billing arrangement (consolidated or separate)

Step 4: Evaluate Savings vs. Current PTC

Calculate your projected annual savings. Factor in the ETF risk if you need to exit early. Ensure the savings justify the commitment.

Step 5: Execute and Monitor

Sign the contract, verify enrollment confirmation from ComEd, and check your first bill to ensure the correct rate is applied. Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your contract expiration.

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Conclusion: Make an Informed Choice, Not a Default One

Every month you remain on ComEd's default service without benchmarking the competitive market is a month you may be overpaying for electricity. That's not a scare tactic — it's a mathematical reality in a competitive market where ARES suppliers have strong financial incentives to win your business.

The comparison isn't always in favor of switching. Sometimes the PTC is competitive; sometimes the right move is to wait for better market conditions; sometimes a very short contract term or highly variable load makes switching less attractive. The point isn't to switch for the sake of switching — it's to make an informed decision rather than a default one.

Running the comparison takes a few hours and costs nothing. If a competitive supplier can save your business $1,000–$3,000 per year on electricity, that's a meaningful contribution to your bottom line with no operational disruption. And if the market isn't offering better terms right now, you'll at least know your default service is working in your favor.

illinoiscommercialenergy.com offers a free, no-obligation commercial energy analysis for Illinois small businesses. We'll pull your usage data, compare current ARES offers against the ComEd PTC, and give you a clear picture of your options — with zero pressure and full transparency.

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Sources:

• ComEd – Price to Compare for Small Commercial Customers
• Illinois Power Agency – Annual Procurement Proceedings
• Illinois Commerce Commission – ARES Retail Market Overview
• PJM Interconnection – 2026/2027 Base Residual Auction Results
• U.S. Energy Information Administration – Illinois Electricity Profile

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