Why do I still have an electric bill with solar?

ComEd says it plainly: with solar, the customer charge and standard meter charges still apply. Taxes and per-kWh delivery charges on the power you take from the grid also stay on the bill.

For systems connected since January 1, 2025, credits for the power you send to the grid apply only to the supply section of the bill, not to delivery. You're charged for the net amount of electricity you use plus fixed delivery charges. Credits you don't use roll over month to month and never expire.

That's why using your own solar is worth more than exporting it. Power you use as it's made saves the full retail rate, roughly 17¢ per kWh, while an export earns about the supply rate, roughly 10¢. See how much ComEd and Ameren pay for excess solar and Illinois net metering.

Systems that got permission to operate before 2025 keep the older full-retail netting for the life of the system.

For systems connected since 2025, Illinois Shines explains that exported power is credited at your electricity supply rate, the per-kWh supply charge printed on your bill. On the default utility supply, that's the Price to Compare: 10.1¢ per kWh with ComEd and 10.4¢ with Ameren for the first 800 kWh, for October 2026–May 2027. It changes each June and October. See the current Price to Compare.

Several bill lines are charged per kWh you buy from the grid or as a share of delivery, and the Citizens Utility Board's guide to the ComEd bill lists them:

• State taxes: an electricity distribution charge and the state electricity excise tax, both small per-kWh amounts.
• Your town's utility tax: collected by the utility and passed to your city or village.
• The franchise cost: a percentage of delivery charges that covers the utility's agreements with towns.

Solar shrinks these by cutting the kWh you buy, but since 2025 export credits don't cover delivery or the set fees and charges, so a small bill remains even in sunny months.

• No permission to operate yet. Net metering starts on the date ComEd or Ameren grants permission to operate, so there are no credits before then. See how long solar takes.
• The meter wasn't swapped yet. ComEd replaces a non-smart meter before net metering starts; a smart meter's number has nine digits and begins with 2.
• It's winter. Panels make far less in December than in June, so winter bills run higher even with credits rolling over from summer.
• The system is offline. Check your monitoring app; see solar producing less than expected.
• You switched suppliers. You have to re-enroll in net metering with a new supplier, and some don't offer it.

• Add a battery so midday solar covers your evening use instead of being exported. ComEd and Ameren pay about $300 per kWh toward one. See what a home battery costs.
• Shift big loads to sunny hours, like laundry, dishwashers and EV charging on weekends.
• Consider a time-based rate. See ComEd Hourly Pricing and time-of-use rates.
• Size the system for your real usage. See how many solar panels you need.

Get a quote that shows your expected bill after solar, not just production. See what a solar quote should include.