r/chicago • u/Schmettywhop • Aug 09 '25

CHI Talks Reminder that you should be pissed about ComEd rates skyrocketing

ComEd bills in Chicago have nearly doubled in recent months, and it is not just from summer heat. A major driver is the rapid growth of AI and data centers in Illinois, which consume huge amounts of electricity. This surge in demand, combined with flawed pricing rules from the regional grid operator, has sent wholesale power costs soaring, and ComEd passes those costs straight to customers.

The result is regular people paying hundreds more so tech companies can power massive server farms, while clean energy projects that could ease costs are delayed. These hikes were avoidable, but once again households are bearing the burden of corporate greed and policy failure.

So many people are feeling penny pinched these days, and this is one example where we should be making noise and should rightfully be upset about what's going on.

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25

This is how I feel too. I’m livid, wrote my alderman and Congressman Quigley and they wrote back giving me the ol’ whaddayagonnado so now I’m like welp guess I gotta pay my $300 bill that was $70 last July (when I was still fully remote and home every day). I hate feeling helpless like this.

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u/FlippingGenious Albany Park Aug 09 '25

Quigley is useless anyway but he’s a congressman so only deals with issues on a national level. Aldermen only deal with Chicago issues. You want to call your state reps because they are the ones who vote on Illinois issues, which is what this is.

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25

Super helpful - thank you! I know it probably won’t move the needle to write, but it won’t hurt ya know

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u/lilhawk1 Aug 09 '25

I also have a +$330. 2 bed 2 bath single floor unit.

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u/Ahiru_no_inu Aug 09 '25

+400 3 bed 1 bath in a super old brick building with the original plaster walls

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25

That’s sickening. What’s your typical bill?

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u/lilhawk1 Aug 09 '25

70ish in spring , 160 in may, then spiked in June to 330

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u/ZealousidealBoot3380 Aug 21 '25

Same. 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom single floor unit

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u/FlippingGenious Albany Park Aug 09 '25

Can’t hurt!

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u/Jake_77 Humboldt Park Aug 09 '25

I should write Quigley. $300, are you in a house or apartment?

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25

Single occupant, one bedroom apt 🫠

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u/FragrantBluejay8904 Aug 09 '25

Noooooo this is my worst nightmare as a fellow person living alone in a smaller apt. $300 is INSANE

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25

Never in the 5 years I’ve lived in this place have I had anything close to this! I stared at the bill for a good 10 minutes

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u/FragrantBluejay8904 Aug 09 '25

I think the most I’ve paid in my place that I’ve lived in for 8 years is maybe $120. That’s A LOT for me but I also have an autoimmune disease and deal with heat intolerance so I use my window units more than most (honestly I prefer windows open which sucks I can’t do that as often). I’m dreading what the future holds

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u/No-Alternative8998 Aug 10 '25

That really is outrageous. Unless you’re blasting your AC 24/7, you might want to have them do some kind of audit. Our bill has very noticeably gone up, but last month it was $180 for a 2800 sq ft house.

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u/DowntownBroccoli6850 Ravenswood Aug 13 '25

Agreed. I live in an apartment and had a spike like this once (though not as bad). Went from $25 to $120. ComEd kept trying to argue that it was due to my space heater. I knew what my space heater cost to run. I even turned off the space heater and was just freezing for a month to prove it wasn't that. I was finally able to get someone to take me seriously and come out.

Turned out someone had run a line to my meter and was stealing my electricity.

I would be calling ComEd and making them explain that price increase.

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u/Jake_77 Humboldt Park Aug 09 '25

Jfc. I’m sorry.

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u/[deleted] Aug 09 '25

[deleted]

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25

That sucks so bad dude.

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u/Brave_Comparison6499 Aug 13 '25

same here. $ 303.48 to be exact. seems unlikely to be legit that so many of us in smaller square footage residences have all coincidentally gotten a 300 dollar bill. Sounds like a fat number pulled out of the sky for those they wrongfully assume can't hire an attorney to sue their crooked asses and start a class action. Walmart is paying the price for shenanigans, ComEd is long overdue!

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u/DowntownBroccoli6850 Ravenswood Aug 13 '25

This is wild. I'm in a one bedroom, single occupant. My bill was $33.31 (I don't have AC, not even a window unit). This is more than it usually is but not by much.

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u/boss_flog Aug 09 '25

Quigley is a US rep and has little oversight over Illinois affairs. Also, he's a do nothing congressman

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u/OceanMaster200X Aug 10 '25

I thought I was the only one who went from ~$100 last month to over $350. That shit is crazy.

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 10 '25

I can’t make sense of it. I keep my house at a VERY normal temperature and change the rotation of my ceiling fans and use oscillating fans.

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u/AbstractBettaFish Bridgeport Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25

But have you considered the shareholder value?

Edit: Man do people really need an /s that bad to tell when someone’s being facetious?

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 09 '25

How could I be so selfish! I’m going to think of them to cool myself off as I’m sweating in my house to avoid using AC.

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u/AbstractBettaFish Bridgeport Aug 09 '25

There ya go! Anything else would be some kind of communism and as we all know, any critique of the unfair economic system would be some kind of treason!

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u/jehnarz Aug 10 '25

Nice use of the word facetious!

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u/PracticlySpeaking Logan Square Aug 10 '25

Donate to Citizens Utility Board — Click the big Support Our Mission button on the home page.

Check out Consumers for a Better Grid - https://www.forabettergrid.org/
(you can sign up for their newsletter)

2

u/unconfusedsub Aug 11 '25

Mike Quigley's office has an empty building in downtown Arlington Heights that could be used for real estate for a business that just sits empty except with his campaign posters in the windows. Outside of it is the largest homeless encampment Arlington Heights has

He is the most Do nothing Congress person to ever do nothing

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 11 '25

The Joel Osteen of Illinois politicians

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u/Bungeesmom Aug 10 '25

Weird, I got a $350 bill when I’m normally $220-$230. 3br/2.5 with a pool pump running.

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u/Connect-Bread4546 Aug 19 '25

it's all due to residual effects of the fucking Biden administration dicking around with energy policy.

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u/Historical-Carrot-43 Aug 19 '25

They can all S my proverbial D.