volgariver / Depositphotos.com
November 10, 2025 – In the wake of a significant drop in Ameren Illinois’ price for electricity, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) put out a warning against bad alternative supplier deals.
The watchdog urged consumers to review the “Electric Supply” section of their bills to confirm they are not overpaying with an expensive alternative supplier offer, including supplier offers negotiated by local governments. CUB stressed that it is likely that Ameren Illinois’ supply price is your best bet.
Ameren’s non-summer power price (October 2025 through May 2026):
● 8.402¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for up to 800 kWh of usage. (Appears as 0.08402 on your bill.)
● 7.483¢ per kWh for electricity usage beyond 800 kWh. (Appears as 0.07483 on your bill.)
● The prices above include the supply price + a transmission charge + a supply cost adjustment.
Please be advised: Ameren’s non-summer price represents a more than 30 percent reduction from Ameren’s supply price over the summer.
Consumers can choose to stay with Ameren Illinois for supply or go with an alternative supplier. Among the choices in the market, many communities have “municipal aggregation” offers that local leaders have negotiated with an alternative supplier.
If you go with an alternative supplier, you still get a bill from Ameren, with the alternative supplier charges included. To see if you’re with another supplier, look in two places on Ameren bills: “Electric Supply” and “Details From Your Electric Supplier.” If a company other than Ameren Illinois is listed, you are with an alternative supplier.
In the “Electric Supply” section, you should be able to see the per kWh price you’re paying with that supplier. See how it compares with the Ameren supply price CUB lists above. If you want to end the offer, call the alternative supplier using the phone number for the company that is listed in the “Details From Your Electric Supplier” section. It can take up to two months to switch back to your utility.
If you think you were fraudulently signed up, tell the supplier you want a refund. If you don’t like the supplier’s response, file a complaint with CUB, at 1-800-669-5556.
A recent CUB review of state electricity choice reports revealed that Illinois consumers have lost more than $2 billion to alternative electricity suppliers over the last decade.
