Regional cost guide
Illinois mini-split cost guide
Much of Illinois is climate zone 4 (south) / 5. Electricity here runs 23.85 cents per kilowatt-hour, so a typical 12,000 BTU system costs about $711 a year to run. 2 rebate programs below can cut the installed price. Installed prices are mostly national — labor is the part that varies locally.
- Residential rate
- 23.85 c/kWh
- Rate source
- EIA, May 2026
Climate Profile
State-level range
Much of Illinois is climate zone 4 (south) / 5.
These are statewide figures. Climate and electricity rates vary a lot inside a state, so check your own ZIP code before sizing a system around them.
Operating-Cost Example
Operating-cost example
$711per year
Example: 12k BTU/h system at 20 SEER2 / 10 HSPF2 using default annual operating hours.
Cooling
$39 monthly / 1,955.4 kWh yearly
Heating
$20 monthly / 1,024.8 kWh yearly
- Capacity
- 12,000 BTU/h
- Efficiency
- SEER2 20 / HSPF2 10
- Rate
- 23.85 c/kWh
Typical Sizes And Installed Cost
Equipment, materials, electrical work and permits are priced the same everywhere. Only the labor line is adjusted to this state, which is why these ranges sit close to the national ones.
| Size | Equipment | DIY installed | Pro installed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9k BTU/h | $900 to $1,900 | $1,670 to $5,015 | $3,421 to $9,334 | National ranges, with labor adjusted to this state |
| 12k BTU/h | $1,000 to $2,400 | $1,820 to $5,665 | $3,810 to $10,463 | National ranges, with labor adjusted to this state |
| 18k BTU/h | $1,400 to $3,200 | $2,320 to $6,715 | $4,669 to $12,470 | National ranges, with labor adjusted to this state |
| 24k BTU/h | $1,800 to $4,200 | $2,870 to $8,015 | $5,578 to $14,728 | National ranges, with labor adjusted to this state |
Matched Cold-Climate Systems
LG
LG ARTCOOL Deluxe R-32 9,000 BTU (230V)
Cooling
Heating
Low ambient
Efficiency
LG
LG ARTCOOL Deluxe R-32 12,000 BTU (230V)
Cooling
Heating
Low ambient
Efficiency
GE Appliances
GE Appliances Endure 9,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (GS09WP2BEA / 1G09ED2BEA)
Cooling
Heating
Low ambient
Efficiency
Haier
Haier Arctic Series Premium Highwall 9,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (QS09WP2BEA / 1Q09RT2BEA)
Cooling
Heating
Low ambient
Efficiency
GE Appliances
GE Appliances Endure 12,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (GS12WP2BEA / 1G12ED2BEA)
Cooling
Heating
Low ambient
Efficiency
Haier
Haier Arctic Series Premium Highwall 12,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (QS12WP2BEA / 1Q12RT2BEA)
Cooling
Heating
Low ambient
Efficiency
Incentives
UTILITY_REBATE
Ameren Illinois Instant Incentives - Ducted and Ductless Heat Pumps
Applications open
Ameren Illinois publishes current instant incentives for ducted and ductless heat pumps with no closure stated.
Covers mini-splits
The Ameren Illinois program page explicitly names Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pumps and states a $630 ductless mini-split heat pump discount.
Ameren Illinois lists a $900 discount for a ducted air-source heat pump and a $630 discount for a ductless mini-split heat pump.
- Equipment
- Ducted air-source heat pumps and ductless mini-split heat pumps for eligible Ameren Illinois residential electric customers.
- Income
- No income restriction is published for these Ameren Illinois instant incentives.
- Efficiency
- Ducted air-source heat pumps must be new systems with 15.2 SEER2 and 8.1 HSPF2 or greater, have an AHRI certificate, and have a maximum capacity of 65,000 Btu/h. Ductless mini-split heat pumps must be new systems with 16.0 SEER2 and 8.55 HSPF2 or greater and have an AHRI certificate.
- Install
- Customer must be an Ameren Illinois electric customer. Discounts are available through participating Instant Incentive Distributors or Instant Incentives Program Ally Contractors, with a limit of two ducted heat pump discounts and two ductless mini-split heat pump discounts per residential account.
UTILITY_REBATE
ComEd Home Heating and Cooling Heat Pump Instant Discounts
Applications open
ComEd effective March 1, 2026 incentive table and claim process are current with no closure stated.
Covers mini-splits
The current ComEd midstream program table explicitly names Ductless and Mixed Use Mini-Split Heat Pumps and gives separate incentive rows for them.
Effective for installations on or after March 1, 2026, air source and centrally ducted mini-split heat pump incentives are $885 to $1,985 without an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat or $960 to $2,060 with a thermostat bundle. Ductless and mixed-use mini-split heat pump incentives are $485 to $985 without a thermostat or $560 to $1,060 with a thermostat bundle; the portal says amounts shown are after a $15 EGIA processing fee.
- Equipment
- Air source heat pumps, centrally ducted mini-split heat pumps, and ductless or mixed-use mini-split heat pumps installed for eligible ComEd residential customers through the midstream heating and cooling program.
- Income
- No income restriction is published for the ComEd heat pump discount; equipment must serve an eligible existing residential single-family home or multifamily property on a ComEd residential rate class.
- Efficiency
- Effective March 1, 2026 tiers require air source or centrally ducted mini-split heat pumps to meet at least 15.2 SEER2, 9.4 EER2, and 8.1 HSPF2, or higher Tier 2 levels of 17.0 SEER2, 9.4 EER2, and 8.5 HSPF2. Ductless and mixed-use mini-split heat pumps require at least 17.0 SEER2, 9.4 EER2, and 9.0 HSPF2.
- Install
- Contractors must complete ComEd air-source heat pump training. Equipment must have an AHRI certificate, be purchased through the participating distributor portal, meet minimum efficiency levels, and have the incentive claim entered within 45 days of installation completion. ComEd customers in Batavia, Geneva, Naperville, Rochelle, Rock Falls, St. Charles, and Winnetka are listed as not eligible.
Federal credit timing and state-program caveats are covered in the mini-split rebates and tax credits guide.
Code Notes
- Illinois Energy Conservation Code enforcement is local. For residential projects where a municipality or county requires a building permit, the project must comply with the Illinois Energy Conservation Code or an adopted Illinois Residential Stretch Energy Code, and the local authority having jurisdiction establishes its own enforcement procedures.
- Illinois mechanical permit fees are local, not statewide. Evanston provides a municipal data point in its 2026 fee schedule where mechanical permit fees require a mechanical worksheet, new or replacement furnace or AC unit is $50 per unit, and a new or replacement split system is $100 per system. Actual permit scope and fee are decided by the local authority having jurisdiction.
Sources
- SplitAtlas: IECC predominant-zone-by-state mapping - editorial v1Sourced Jul 2026
Covers climate zone.
- SplitAtlas: IECC predominant-zone-by-state mapping - editorial v1Sourced Aug 2026
Covers climate zone.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, June 2026 residential electricity ratesSourced Jul 2026
Covers electricity rate cents per kwh.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, June 2026 residential electricity ratesSourced Aug 2026
Covers electricity rate cents per kwh.
Covers labor cost multiplier.
- Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules: Illinois Administrative Code Section 600.420 Local JurisdictionSourced Aug 2026
Covers permit code note.
- City of Evanston, Illinois: Permit Fee Schedule - 2026Sourced Aug 2026
Covers permit fee note.
- Operating-cost calculator methodology
Example calculation assumptions.
- Installation-cost calculator methodology
National planning ranges for equipment and installation.