What Illinois utilities pay for a smart thermostat
Each card is a different company. Check your electric bill and your gas bill, then look at the cards for those two companies. They are separate programs with separate rules.
ComEd (electric customers in northern Illinois)
$75 off an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat, one per account per program year. Another $75 instant discount applies when a heat pump contractor installs one with a heat pump. Buy by December 31, 2026 and apply within 60 days of purchase or by February 28, 2027, whichever comes first.
Naperville Electric Utility (Naperville electric customers)
A $75 credit for a Wi-Fi smart thermostat, up to two per household, for owners or renters. Apply within 120 days of the install. The credit ends when the funding is used up.
Nicor Gas (gas customers in most of the Chicago suburbs and northern Illinois)
$25 for a smart thermostat, one per account, for a current Nicor Gas residential customer. Install it in 2026 and apply within 90 days of the install or by January 31, 2027. The offer is for replacing an existing gas product. Claiming a furnace and a thermostat together on one application pays $200 or $275 in total.
Peoples Gas (gas customers in the City of Chicago)
$25 for a smart thermostat and $20 for a programmable one, for Peoples Gas residential customers in a single-family home, two-flat or individually metered condo or townhome. Apply within 30 days of the install or by December 31, 2026, whichever is first.
Ameren Illinois (central and southern Illinois)
Ameren Illinois points customers to its savings marketplace, which lists smart thermostat discounts. Its rebate page blocked our reader, so we cannot state an amount. Ameren's Peak Time Savings page lists a $50 sign-up bonus and $25 a year, but its rules name Missouri customers, so do not count on those figures in Illinois.
Working it out
A $150 smart thermostat in a Naperville home would earn $75 from Naperville Electric, so it costs $75. If the same home gets gas from Nicor, the Nicor rebate is a separate $25 on top, as long as you file each one with its own company and meet its rules. A Chicago home with Peoples Gas for heat and ComEd for electricity could claim $25 and $75, for $100 back on the same $150 thermostat. Read each company's page before you buy, because some programs do not allow a second offer on the same product.
Start with the free route if your income qualifies
If your household income is at or below 80% of the area median, ComEd's Home Energy Savings program sends someone to your home for a free energy assessment. They leave free products, and a thermostat is on that list, along with LED bulbs, showerheads, aerators, pipe insulation, power strips and door sweeps. Single-family homes, two-flats, condos, mobile homes and townhomes qualify, and renters can take part with their landlord's permission. The call number is 855-433-2700.
Do that before you buy a thermostat. If you pay for one first, you may not get the free one.
Which thermostat works with which system
The word smart is not enough. A thermostat has to match your wiring and your heating and cooling. Most programs want an ENERGY STAR model, and some keep their own list of eligible products. Heat pumps, electric baseboard heat and older steam or hot-water boilers all need different models. A thermostat that does not work with your system saves nothing and may not qualify.
Before you buy, check the model number against the utility's list or the ENERGY STAR product finder. The ComEd offer is for an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat. The Nicor Gas and Peoples Gas offers are for gas homes, and Peoples Gas asks for a new product with the old one removed.
Timing and paperwork
Every Illinois program has its own deadline, and they are short. Peoples Gas wants the form within 30 days of the install. Nicor Gas gives 90 days. ComEd gives 60 days from the purchase. Naperville Electric gives 120 days. Keep the receipt, because most forms ask for it, and keep the model number and the install date. If a contractor installs the thermostat, ask for an invoice that lists the thermostat on its own line.
Some rebates end early when the money runs out. ComEd says its appliance rebates may end before the date on the page, and Naperville's credit ends when its funding is allocated. File as soon as you buy.
Can you claim from more than one company?
Often yes, when the companies are different. A gas company and an electric company run separate programs, so a Chicago home can have Peoples Gas for heat and ComEd for electricity and file with both. The rules to watch are the ones inside each program. ComEd says its appliance rebates cannot be combined with other ComEd efficiency offers, and each program limits you to one thermostat per account. Do not file twice with the same company for the same product.
How to claim an Illinois smart thermostat rebate
- Look at your electric and gas bills to see which companies serve your home.
- If your income is at or below 80% of the area median, call ComEd about the free assessment before you buy anything.
- Pick a thermostat that works with your heating and cooling system and is on the right list.
- Buy or install it, and keep the receipt with the thermostat price on its own line.
- File with each company that pays, before that company's deadline (30 to 120 days after install or purchase).
- Keep a copy of every form. Checks and credits can take several weeks to arrive.
More for Illinois homes
- Illinois home rebates: every program in one place
- ComEd rebates: what ComEd pays for each upgrade
- Illinois home rebates: every program in the state
- Chicago home rebates: ComEd and Peoples Gas programs
- Naperville home rebates: Naperville Electric programs
- Illinois appliance rebates: dryers, cooktops and more
Common questions
How much do Illinois utilities pay for a smart thermostat?
ComEd pays $75 and Naperville Electric pays $75. Nicor Gas pays $25 and Peoples Gas pays $25 for a smart model in Chicago. We could not confirm an Ameren Illinois amount.
Can I get a free smart thermostat in Illinois?
Yes, if your household income is at or below 80% of the area median. ComEd's Home Energy Savings program includes a free energy assessment with free products, and a thermostat is one of them. Call 855-433-2700.
Can I claim a rebate from my gas company and my electric company?
Usually yes, because they are separate programs. A Chicago home with Peoples Gas and ComEd can file with both. Each program allows one thermostat per account, and you should read the rules before you buy.
Do I need a contractor to install it?
No. You can buy a smart thermostat and install it yourself in most cases, and the forms ask for a receipt. If a heat pump contractor installs one with a heat pump, ComEd pays an extra $75.
What if my utility is Ameren Illinois?
Ameren Illinois lists smart thermostat discounts in its online savings marketplace, but we could not read the amounts. Check the marketplace directly before you buy.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 6, 2026: ComEd appliance rebates (smart thermostat), Nicor Gas residential rebates, Peoples Gas residential rebates, Naperville Electric smart thermostat rebate, ComEd Home Energy Savings.