How to get your ComEd or Ameren usage history for a solar quote

A solar system is sized to your yearly use. EnergySage asks for a bill showing your usage history over the last year so the system meets your annual needs, and since January 2025, Illinois Shines disclosure forms include an estimate of your annual electricity use.

Illinois Shines uses that estimate to work out how much of the system's output you'll use on site, which affects your savings estimate:

Hourly data matters for batteries and time-based rates. On ComEd's Time-of-Day rate, for example, the mid-day peak runs from 1 to 7 p.m. Knowing how much you use in those hours shows how much a battery could shift. See solar with hourly pricing.

1. 1

   Log in to My Account

   Use your ComEd online account on the website.

2. 2

   Go to My Usage

   Open the My Usage section of your dashboard.

3. 3

   Select Green Button

   ComEd provides a file of your electricity usage data that you can save and send to your installer.

ComEd also offers Green Button Connect, which lets you authorize a registered company to pull your data directly. ComEd notes it doesn't monitor how third parties use the data, so share it only with a company you're working with.

Log in to your Ameren Illinois account and click the Green Button icon under My Usage in Ways to Save, or use Download My Usage, which creates a file you can email or save.

• Smart (AMI) meters show hourly usage; older meters show daily or monthly use.
• Bill History shows about 24 months of bills.
• Share My Usage lets you authorize an approved company to receive up to 24 months of past usage and 24 months going forward, unless you revoke it.

On a ComEd paper bill, the account number is in the upper-right corner; ComEd issued new account numbers in February 2024. Your bill also has a graph of your usage over the past 13 months. On an Ameren bill, the account number and service address are at the top left, with usage graphs by billing period.

If you can't download a file, add up the kWh on your last 12 bills. That annual total is the number an installer needs most. See how many solar panels you need.

Your usage file is fine to send to an installer you've chosen to get a quote from. Be careful with your bill and account number at the door: the Citizens Utility Board warns that a sales rep who sees your bill can use your account number to switch your supplier without permission, a scam called slamming. Don't hand over a bill unless you've decided to sign up. See Illinois solar scams to avoid.