Your electric bill provides information about your electricity use, billing period, current charges, payments and total amount due. Use the sample bills and explanations below to understand where this information appears and what it means.
If your bill is higher than expected, compare the electricity used, number of billing days and individual charges shown on the current and previous bills.
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Contact Customer CareUnderstanding the Charges on Your Bill
What each section means
1
Account and billing information
Shows the account number, billing date, amount due and payment due date.
2
Account Summary
Shows the previous balance, payments received, balance forward, current billing charges and account balance.
3
Service and meter information
Shows the service address, rate type, meter number, service dates, meter readings, multiplier and electricity used.
4
Energy usage at a glance
Shows monthly kilowatt-hour history to help compare electricity use over time.
5
Billing Details
Lists the charges, credits and adjustments that make up the current billing charges.
6
Bill message
Provides important account messages and information about available tools.
7
Payment portion
The portion returned with payment when paying by mail.
Watch How To Read Your Bill
Texas Residential Bill Charges
The sample bill reflects summer pricing. Under Standard Service, summer is May through October. Non-summer is November through April, when all kilowatt-hours are billed at one non-summer rate.
Customer Charge
A fixed monthly charge that helps cover the cost of providing and maintaining your electric service account. This includes customer service, meter reading, billing and other account administration costs. The Customer Charge applies for each billing period regardless of how much electricity is used.
Energy Charge: Standard Service
A usage-based charge for providing electric service. The charge is calculated by multiplying the applicable energy rate by the number of kilowatt-hours, or kWh, used during the billing period. One kilowatt-hour represents the use of 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour.
Summer: May through October
- First 600 kWh: Billed at the first-tier summer rate.
- All Remaining: Electricity used above 600 kWh is billed at the higher summer rate.
Non-Summer: November through April
All kilowatt-hours are billed at one non-summer energy rate. There is no second tier.
Total Energy Charges: The total amount billed for electricity used during the billing period. On a summer bill, the total may include charges calculated under both the first 600 kWh rate and the all-remaining kWh rate.
Fuel Charge - Secondary
Recovers the cost of fuel used to generate the electricity EPE provides. The charge is based on electricity used.
Energy Efficiency Recovery Factor
Recovers costs approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas for energy-efficiency programs offered to eligible customers.
Generation Cost Recovery Rider
Recovers costs approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas associated with investments in electric generation facilities and other generation-related resources used to provide reliable electric service.
Advanced Metering System Surcharge
Recovers costs approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas associated with the installation, operation and maintenance of EPE’s advanced metering system.
Project No. 50664 Asset Surcharge
Recovers approved deferred costs associated with Public Utility Commission of Texas Project No. 50664.
Retiring Plant Rider
Recovers costs approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas associated with designated generating units that are being retired or removed from service.
Military Base Discount Recovery Factor
Recovers the cost of the approved discount provided to qualifying military facilities.
Rate Case Expense Surcharge
Recovers costs approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas associated with participating in and completing a Texas electric rate review case.
New Mexico Residential Bill Charges
The sample bill reflects summer pricing. Under Standard Service, summer is June through September. Non-summer is October through May, when all kilowatt-hours are billed at one non-summer rate.
Customer Charge
A fixed monthly charge that helps cover the cost of providing and maintaining your electric service account. This includes customer service, meter reading, billing and other account administration costs. The Customer Charge applies for each billing period regardless of how much electricity is used.
Energy Charge: Standard Service
A usage-based charge for providing electric service. The charge is calculated by multiplying the applicable energy rate by the number of kilowatt-hours, or kWh, used during the billing period. One kilowatt-hour represents the use of 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour.
Summer: June through September
- First 600 kWh: Billed at the first-tier summer rate.
- All Remaining: Electricity used above 600 kWh is billed at the higher summer rate.
Non-Summer: October through May
All kilowatt-hours are billed at one non-summer energy rate. There is no second tier.
Total Energy Charges: The total amount billed for electricity used during the billing period. On a summer bill, the total may include charges calculated under both the first 600 kWh rate and the all-remaining kWh rate.
Fuel and Purchased Power Cost Adjustment - Secondary
Recovers fuel and purchased-power costs. The charge is based on electricity used and may change as EPE's actual fuel and purchased-power costs change.
Renewable Portfolio Standard Recovery
Recovers costs approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission for complying with New Mexico renewable-energy requirements.
Transportation Electrification Plan Recovery
Recovers approved costs associated with the New Mexico Transportation Electrification Plan.
Advanced Metering System Rider
Recovers approved costs associated with the advanced metering system.
Efficient Use of Energy Recovery Factor
Recovers costs approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission for energy-efficiency and load-management programs offered to eligible New Mexico customers.
Franchise Fee
A fee assessed by an applicable governmental entity for providing utility service within its boundaries.
Taxes
Recovers taxes assessed by a governmental entity for utility service at the service location and is a pass-through cost.
Additional information that may appear on your bill
The items below are not part of every standard residential bill. They may appear based on your account, selected rate, enrolled program or service activity.
Account-specific information
Distributed Generation
If your account includes distributed generation, such as rooftop solar, the meter details may show Energy Delivered, Energy Received and Net Usage from a bidirectional meter. Purchased Power information may also appear when applicable for the billing month.
Deposits
If a deposit is required, the charge appears in its own section within Billing Details. Deposit interest credits or refunded deposits appear as an adjustment in Billing Details and are also included in the Account Summary.
Payment Arrangements
If you are on a payment arrangement, the arrangement details appear near the top of the bill, above the Account Summary. The installment amount is shown and added to the monthly amount due.
Budget Billing
If you are enrolled in Budget Billing, the bill includes a message stating: “Your account is on a Budget Plan.”
AutoPay
If you are enrolled in AutoPay, a message appears in the bill-message area and on the payment portion at the bottom of the bill. The message shows the date the bank account is scheduled to be drafted.
Texas items that may appear
Time-of-Day Rate
If your account is enrolled in a Texas Time-of-Day rate, the energy-charge detail reflects the applicable time periods instead of the standard seasonal energy-charge structure.
Demand Charge
A demand charge may appear on certain Texas residential bills. For applicable Texas residential Demand Charge and Distributed Generation rates, billing demand is based on the highest measured 60-minute interval of electricity use, measured in kilowatts, or kW, during the billing period. Certain eligible 480-volt chargers under the separate Electric Vehicle Charging Rate use a 30-minute measurement interval. Demand charges do not appear on every residential bill and apply only when the account is served under an applicable rate.
Community Solar
If you participate in the Texas Community Solar program, program-related charges or credits may appear according to the applicable Community Solar tariff.
Electric Vehicle Rate or Incentive
Electric-vehicle billing depends on the program or rate selected. Certain eligible 480-volt chargers under the dedicated-meter Electric Vehicle Charging Rate may include a demand charge. The Texas Whole-House EV Rate Plan provides credits for qualifying overnight household energy use and is different from the dedicated-meter charging rate.
Fuel Refund or Surcharge
A Fuel Interim Refund or Surcharge may appear when an approved fuel refund or surcharge factor applies.
Tax Credit Factor
An Excess Accumulated Deferred Income Tax credit factor may appear when the approved credit applies.
Area Lighting
If your account includes eligible area-lighting service, a separate area-lighting charge may appear.
Miscellaneous Service Charges
A separate service charge may appear when an applicable service listed in the Texas miscellaneous-service-charge tariff is provided.
New Mexico items that may appear
Time-of-Day Rate
If your account is enrolled in a New Mexico Time-of-Day rate, the energy-charge detail reflects the applicable time periods instead of the standard seasonal energy-charge structure.
Community Solar
If you participate in the New Mexico Community Solar program, a Community Solar credit and the applicable administrative cost rider may appear.
Electric Vehicle Charging Rate
If your account uses the applicable experimental electric-vehicle charging rate, the related rate information may appear on the bill.
Purchased Power Service
If your account qualifies for purchased-power service, the applicable purchased-power credit or factor may appear.
Private Area Lighting
If your account includes eligible private area-lighting service, a separate area-lighting charge may appear.
Miscellaneous Service Charges
A separate service charge may appear when an applicable service listed in the New Mexico miscellaneous-service-charge tariff is provided.
Residential tariff schedules
For complete rate schedules, riders and adjustments, review the residential tariff pages for your state.
View Texas residential tariffs View New Mexico residential tariffs
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Contact UsQuestions or disputes about your bill
If you have a question, dispute or complaint about EPE’s billing procedures, deposit requirements, disconnection of service, meter problems or another matter related to your service, please contact us.
If you dispute a bill:
- You do not have to pay the disputed amount while EPE reviews and works to resolve the dispute.
- You are still responsible for paying all charges that are not disputed.
- If the dispute is not resolved, EPE will provide information about the complaint procedures available through the applicable Commission.
- If you file a complaint with the Commission, EPE will not disconnect your service for the disputed amount during the dispute-resolution process. This protection remains in place until the Commission provides its determination.
