ComEd now offers lower rates if you have electric heating
Chances are, you are paying more for electricity than you should. We at OPCAN can sound like a broken record when it comes to electrification, but it really is better for your home, the planet, your health, and your wallet. Not only will you be saving on utility bills choosing electrification, but your heating rate will be half compared to non-electric heating.
The Distribution Facilities Charge– which is default for homes heated with boilers, radiators and gas-powered systems– is a metered charge of 6.062¢/kWh. Usually, this accounts for a third of most people’s electricity bill. Even those who have electrified their heating system will be getting charged this default rate. However, calling to switch to the electric heating rate will drop this cost 50% to 2.924¢ per kWh!
This will impact only part of your bill, but likely the most expensive part - the Distribution Facilities Charge. Depending on your usage, this will lower your overall bill 10-20%!
Part of Derek Eder’s ComEd bill from Jan 2025. The distribution facilities charge will be 50% lower with the all-electric heat rate.
ComEd offers a lower delivery rate for electric-heated homes, but this rate is not automatically applied, and ComEd has not proactively communicated its availability. Once OPCAN found out, several of our members did some investigating to get the rate for his fully electrified home. The representatives we spoke to didn’t even know of the alternative rate and we needed to cite the Citizens Utility Board, which broke down these costs and specifically mentioned the all-electric heating distribution rate.
If you have all-electric heating, you can get this lower rate as well by following these steps:
Call ComEd at 1-800-334-7661
Once you verify your account number and get a representative on the phone, tell them you want to switch to the all-electric heating distribution rate. They may not know what this is, but you can cite this Citizens Utility Board article if needed: https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/01/10/new-electric-rates-for-comed-and-ameren-customers-in-2025/
Single family home owners can mention that you want the C-B90R classification, known as the ComEd Electric Residential Single with Space Heat. Multi-family home owners should ask for the C-B91R classification, or ComEd Electric Residential Multiple with Space Heat.They will schedule someone to visit your home to verify you have electric heating.
If ComEd does not respond or change the rate, you should file a complaint with the Citizens Utility Board: https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/complaintform/
Once completed, your future bills will get this lower rate of 2.924¢ per kWh.
If you’re considering electrifying your home, reach out to one of our Climate Coaches to hear their experiences with the process. If you’ve already electrified your heating, be sure to call ComEd at 1-800-334-7661 to reap all the benefits of electrification!
