ComEd low income discount program reaches households earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level, with eligibility requiring the top tier to apply directly online

ComEd low income discount program eligibility and how to apply

If you are asking about ComEd low income discount program eligibility and how to apply, Commonwealth Edison launched a brand new bill discount called the Low Income Discount, known as Rider LID, on January 1, 2026. The program reaches households earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level, a government income line published every year by household size. ComEd sorts applicants into 5 income tiers and lowers a monthly bill by as much as 80% in the lowest tier down to a flat 5% in the highest. Households already approved for the federal home heating aid program, called LIHEAP, are enrolled without doing anything extra, so long as they sit in the bottom 4 tiers. Everyone else who qualifies has to sign up directly on the ComEd website.

This new program brings long term relief for those who can least afford to pay, and it will help them afford service as energy costs continue to rise.

Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of ComEd. Source 2.

Automatic enrollment only reaches the bottom 4 tiers

That distinction matters because the newest and highest tier, covering incomes from 201% to 300% of the federal poverty level, does not enroll automatically. ComEd own program page and the Citizens Utility Board both state that only tiers 1 through 4, up to 200% of the federal poverty level, get the discount automatically once a household is already approved for LIHEAP or a Percentage of Income Payment Plan. A household in the new top tier has to self certify directly through a tool on the ComEd website called Smart Assistance Manager. Once approved, ComEd applies the discount within 1 to 2 billing cycles, and it lasts up to 24 months before a household has to recertify.

How much the discount is worth, tier by tier

The size of the discount falls off sharply the higher a household income tier sits. ComEd own program page states possible discounts running from 58% to 80% in the bottom tier, 6% to 60% in the second tier, 5% to 31% in the third tier, and 5% to 6% in the fourth tier, before landing on a flat 5% for the new fifth tier.

The income band behind each tier

The federal poverty level itself is a government income line published every year and adjusted for household size, so the exact dollar amount behind each percentage changes household by household. ComEd sets its 5 tiers at 0% to 50%, 51% to 100%, 101% to 150%, 151% to 200%, and 201% to 300% of that line, and publishes the exact yearly income ceiling for households of 1 through 14 people on its own website.

Why the record says 2025, not 2024, and who pays for it

Commonwealth Edison own verified filing in Illinois Commerce Commission Docket 24 0163 states the Commission issued its final Order approving the Low Income Discount under Section 9 241 of the Public Utilities Act on March 27, 2025, not March 2024 as one news report states. Illinois numbers a docket for the year a case is filed, and this one was filed in 2024, which is the likely reason the 2 dates differ. The Commission directed Commonwealth Edison to have the program fully running no later than January 1, 2026, the date it actually launched.

Commonwealth Edison funds the discount through charges on all of its customers rather than shareholder money, and the Citizens Utility Board, an independent consumer advocate, welcomes the program while pushing ComEd to do more.

But ComEd is a wealthy company, and we always think the utility should devote more shareholder funds for beneficial programs like this.

Jim Chilsen, Citizens Utility Board communications director. Source 4.