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Evanston, IL · Reviewed November 2026

Evanston benchmarking compliance, filed for you

The Evanston Building Energy and Water Use Benchmarking Ordinance requires covered buildings to report energy and water use every year. We gather the data, check it, and file it — usually within a week.

Who’s covered

Commercial and multifamily buildings of 20,000 sq ft or more, and city buildings of 10,000 sq ft or more.

Annual deadline

June 30 for the previous calendar year.

Verification

Data verification for 20,000+ sq ft buildings on the city’s schedule.

Penalties

$100 per offense, per month.

What to report

All energy and water used by the whole building — including tenant spaces — for January 1 to December 31:

  • Electricity — every meter serving the building
  • Natural gas
  • District steam, hot or chilled water, if you have it
  • Delivered fuels (oil, diesel, propane) — all delivery receipts for the year
  • On-site solar production, if any
  • Water — whole-building water use

Leave out backup generator fuel. Note any meters added or removed during the year.

Good to know

  • Evanston is adding building performance standards through its Healthy Buildings Ordinance.

What we’ll need from you

  • Building address, plus any utility service addresses that differ from it
  • Gross floor area for the whole building and each use (office, retail, residential…), number of units and year built
  • Your Evanston Building ID (we can look it up)
  • Utility data for the full calendar year, January 1 – December 31 (usually 13 months of bills)
  • If tenants pay their own utilities: whole-building (aggregated) data from the utility, or signed tenant authorization forms
  • Access to your ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account, if you have one
  • Any notice or letter you received about this law
FAQ

Evanston benchmarking questions

When is the Evanston benchmarking deadline?
Reports are normally due June 30 each year, covering the previous calendar year’s energy and water use.
Does Evanston benchmarking apply to my building?
Commercial and multifamily buildings of 20,000 sq ft or more, and city buildings of 10,000 sq ft or more. Exemptions are limited — if you’re not sure, send us the address and we’ll check.
What happens if I miss it?
$100 per offense, per month. If you’ve already missed the deadline, we can usually get you filed quickly and help you respond to any notice.
Is third-party verification required?
Data verification for 20,000+ sq ft buildings on the city’s schedule. We provide verification in-house.

Official program information: Evanston benchmarking website. Requirements change — we confirm current rules for every filing.

Let us handle your Evanston benchmarking filing

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