The fastest rate climb in the group
Ameren Illinois's average residential electricity price has risen from 10.32 cents per kWh in 2015 to 16.67 cents in 2025, an increase of about 62 percent, or roughly 4.9 percent per year. The chart shows Ameren Illinois's average residential price by year. Hover any point for the exact figure.
Current residential rates
Ameren Illinois residential rates are shown below, from the utility's published tariffs and the public Utility Rate Database. Rates vary by plan, season, and usage and change over time.
| Plan | Energy charge | Fixed / basic |
|---|---|---|
| Residential DS-1 (delivery) plus Ameren default supply | Supply Price to Compare about 11.3 cents/kWh (summer, first 800 kWh) plus DS-1 delivery of roughly 7 cents/kWh in summer and 4 cents/kWh in non-summer months | About $12/month customer and meter charge |
Illinois is a deregulated market: Ameren delivers to all customers but supplies only default Price to Compare customers. The Price to Compare is the official supply benchmark and resets periodically; delivery and customer charges are from Ameren's DS-1 tariff. The rate history is the bundled full-service price for default-supply customers; Ameren supply prices are volatile, so the residential average is not a smooth line. Confirm current pricing on Ameren's rate pages before making decisions.
Does solar still make sense on Ameren Illinois?
Two things pull in opposite directions here: rates that have risen fast, and a 2025 rule that cut what exports are worth.
In favor
Ameren's rates rose 62 percent in a decade, the fastest in this batch, so every kWh you generate and use yourself replaces power priced near 17 cents and climbing. Self-consumed solar is worth more here than almost anywhere.
The catch
For systems started after 2024, Illinois credits exports only at the supply portion of the rate, not delivery, so surplus power earns far less than the power you offset. Sizing to your own usage, often with a battery, matters more than selling power back.
How Illinois changed solar exports
Illinois net metering is delivered through Ameren's Rider NM. For residential systems granted permission to operate after December 31, 2024, excess exports are no longer credited at the full retail rate; credits now apply only to the supply and transmission portion of the bill, not delivery, and carry over. Systems permitted on or before December 31, 2024 keep full retail rate net metering for the life of the system. A one-time smart inverter rebate is offered in lieu of retaining retail rate netting.
Why self-consumption wins here
Ameren Illinois rates have risen 62 percent since 2015, the steepest climb among these utilities, largely because Illinois supply prices swing with the wholesale market and spiked sharply after 2021. That volatility is why the rate line is jagged rather than smooth.
Illinois also changed net metering: for systems permitted after 2024, exports earn only the supply portion of the rate. Combined, that means the strongest solar case here is a system sized to cover your own usage rather than to export a surplus. Whether it pencils out depends on your usage and roof, so get a site-specific quote.
Ameren Illinois service area
Ameren Illinois serves Central and southern Illinois (outside the Chicago area served by ComEd), spanning about 90 counties and 800 communities including Peoria, Champaign and Urbana, Bloomington and Normal, Decatur, Springfield, Quincy, and the Metro East area near St. Louis..
To confirm whether a specific address is served by Ameren Illinois, check your electricity bill. A ZIP lookup tool is coming to this site.
What rising Ameren Illinois rates could cost you
Ameren Illinois rates have risen about 4.9% per year. Enter your bill to see what that pace of increase could compound to over time, and what you have likely already absorbed. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Estimate only. Projects your current bill forward at Ameren Illinois's historical average rate increase (4.9% per year, from EIA data); it assumes your usage stays the same except for any add-ons you select. Actual rates depend on your usage, rate plan, and the utility's future filings, and are not guaranteed. This is general information, not financial advice.
Full data and sources
Per-utility prices are computed from EIA Form 861 (bundled residential revenue divided by sales), which reconciles to the EIA's published figures. These are public-domain U.S. government data.
| Year | Ameren Illinois (c/kWh) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 10.32 |
| 2016 | 10.4 |
| 2017 | 10.4 |
| 2018 | 9.79 |
| 2019 | 9.42 |
| 2020 | 9.74 |
| 2021 | 11.17 |
| 2022 | 15.37 |
| 2023 | 17.04 |
| 2024 | 15.26 |
| 2025 | 16.67 |
Sources: EIA Form 861, Sales to Ultimate Customers (2015 to 2024) · Plug In Illinois, Ameren Price to Compare · Illinois Commerce Commission, net metering · Ameren Illinois, net metering
FAQ
How much have Ameren Illinois electricity rates gone up?
Ameren Illinois's average full-service residential price rose from about 10 cents per kWh in 2015 to about 17 cents in 2025, an increase of roughly 62 percent, per EIA Form 861 data, the fastest in this group and driven by volatile supply prices.
Does Ameren Illinois still have net metering?
Yes, through Rider NM, but the terms changed. For residential systems granted permission to operate after December 31, 2024, exports are credited only at the supply and transmission portion of the rate, not delivery. Earlier systems keep full retail net metering for the life of the system.
Why do Ameren's rates jump around so much?
Illinois is deregulated and Ameren's default supply is a Price to Compare tied to wholesale auctions, which have swung sharply since 2021. That makes the residential average less of a smooth trend and more of a series of steps.
Is solar worth it with Ameren Illinois?
Fast-rising rates make self-consumed solar valuable, but exports now earn only the supply rate. The best fit is a system sized to your own usage, potentially with a battery. Get a site-specific quote rather than a general estimate.