Illinois electricity prices, May 2026
Average price, sales and bills for the month against the same month a year earlier and the US. Preliminary
In May 2026, residential customers in Illinois paid an average of 23.85¢ per kilowatthour, up 28.4% on the same month a year earlier (18.58¢). The US average for the month was 18.44¢; Illinois was 29% above that. It ranked 12th highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Residential sales were 2,782,397 MWh, down 3.9% on a year earlier, and the average residential bill for the month was $122.65 on 514 kWh. Weather moves monthly sales far more than prices do, so bills swing with the season.
EIA marks this month as preliminary. Preliminary months come from the Form EIA-861M sample and are revised when the annual census is complete.
Average price is revenue divided by sales for the sector and year; it is not a tariff rate. Reliability figures are as reported by utilities to EIA on Form 861 and may use different calculation methods. Monthly figures come from the Form EIA-861M sample and are revised when EIA finalises the year.
Price by sector
| Sector | May 2026 | May 2025 | Change | US, May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 23.85¢ | 18.58¢ | +28.4% | 18.44¢ |
| Commercial | 15.36¢ | 12.39¢ | +24.0% | 13.54¢ |
| Industrial | 10.20¢ | 8.92¢ | +14.3% | 8.71¢ |
| All sectors | 15.88¢ | 13.05¢ | +21.7% | 13.83¢ |
Sales and customers
| Measure | May 2026 | May 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential sales | 2.8 TWh | 2.9 TWh | -3.9% |
| Sales, all sectors | 9.7 TWh | 9.8 TWh | -0.4% |
| Residential customers | 5,410,276 | 5,353,144 | +1.1% |
| Average residential bill | $122.65 | $100.50 | +22.0% |
| Average residential use, kWh | 514 | 541 | -5.0% |
| US residential price | 18.44¢ | 17.37¢ | +6.2% |
The two years to May 2026
Illinois residentialUS residential
Questions and answers
What was the average electricity price in Illinois in May 2026?
23.85¢ per kilowatthour for residential customers, 15.36¢ for commercial and 10.20¢ for industrial customers. EIA marks the month as preliminary.
How does that compare with a year earlier?
The residential average was 18.58¢ in May 2025, a change of +28.4%. Residential sales changed by -3.9% over the same period.
What was the average residential bill that month?
$122.65, on average use of 514 kWh. This is residential revenue divided by residential customers for the month.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861M sales and revenue workbook (state by sector and month), status "Preliminary" for this month, series published through July 2026. Public domain. Price = revenue ÷ sales; bill = residential revenue ÷ residential customers. Utility-level annual figures are on the Illinois page.