U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Outdoor & Garage · Illinois

How Much Does It Cost to Run a EV Charger in Illinois?

The short answer

A typical 7,200W Level 2 EV charger costs about $1.38 per hour to run in Illinois, or $84.19 a month at 2 hours a day.

That’s based on Illinois’s average residential rate of 19.2¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 5% above the US average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

EV Charger cost by daily use in Illinois

Cost at 19.2¢/kWh, the Illinois average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 219.0 $1.38 $42.10 $505
2 hours/day 438.0 $2.77 $84.19 $1,010
4 hours/day 876.1 $5.54 $168 $2,020
8 hours/day 1,752.2 $11.07 $337 $4,041
12 hours/day 2,628.3 $16.61 $505 $6,061
24 hours/day 5,256.6 $33.21 $1,010 $12,122

Illinois vs other states

At typical use, a Level 2 EV charger costs $1,010 a year in Illinois — $1,513 less than in Hawaii and $342 more than in Louisiana.

Illinois has the 17th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in Illinois · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Illinois

19.2¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.6% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running a Level 2 EV charger

Level 2 chargers run on a 240V circuit and typically deliver 7.2 kW on a 40-amp circuit, or up to 11.5 kW on a 60-amp circuit. Your car decides how fast it accepts power. Two hours a day at 7.2 kW is about 14 kWh, enough for roughly 40–50 miles for most EVs. Charging overnight on a time-of-use plan can lower the cost considerably compared with the average rate shown here.

  • Ask your utility about EV or time-of-use rates and schedule charging overnight.
  • Charge to 80% for daily driving — it's faster and better for the battery.
  • Precondition the car while plugged in during cold weather.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a Level 2 EV charger for 24 hours in Illinois?

Running a 7,200W Level 2 EV charger for 24 hours uses about 173 kWh, which costs about $33.21 at Illinois’s average rate of 19.2¢/kWh.

How many kWh does a Level 2 EV charger use per month?

At 2 hours a day, a typical Level 2 EV charger uses about 438 kWh a month. In Illinois that costs $84.19.

Is it expensive to run a Level 2 EV charger in Illinois?

Illinois has the 17th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 19.2¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running a Level 2 EV charger here costs about $1,010 a year at typical use, compared with $962 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Illinois right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Illinois was 19.2¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.6% from a year earlier.

How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?

Multiply the kWh you add by your electricity rate. Adding 14 kWh (about 40–50 miles) costs 14 × your rate — for example, about $2.45 at 17.5¢/kWh.

EV Charger costs in nearby states

Cheapest and priciest states

Sources & method