Earlier this year, PECO converted to a new bill format as part of a broader upgrade of the company’s billing and customer information management system. While you may be getting familiar with the look of the bill, we wanted to help you better understand the various terms and charges outlined on the bill.
Sample Bill Front
Sample Bill Back
1. Please take note of your telephone number and account number that are situated at the top of the bill. These numbers are important for tracking your account anytime you may need to call, or if we need to reach you.
2. The telephone number for the Business Customer Service team is noted under General Information. The team has a group of customer service representatives dedicated to PECO business customers. You can call 1-800-220-7326 when you have questions or need more information.
3. The Meter Information section tells you the amount of electricity (Tot kWh) that is used in calculating your charges and when the reading was taken. The previous and present meter readings are listed to show the energy usage during the bill period.
ACT next to the meter reading means the meter reading shown on the bill is actual. If a meter reading needs to be estimated, EST appears next to the meter reading on the bill.
PECO uses automated meter reading (AMR) to collect your energy usage. In rare occasions, an estimated meter reading is used when PECO cannot get an actual reading. An estimated meter reading is based upon past energy usage and weather for the billing period. Estimated meter readings are usually corrected the next billing cycle with appropriate adjustments made to your bill.
PECO’s AMR system helps to ensure your bill is based on an actual and, most importantly, an accurate meter reading. Currently, 99.4 percent of the time, readings occur through this automated process. PECO was one of the first and largest utilities in the nation to install an advanced AMR system eight years ago.
Due to the larger amounts of power used, meters for PECO’s commercial customers are calibrated to run at a rate slower than the actual energy usage. “Mult” indicates a multiplier used with the meter reading to determine the actual amount of usage during the billing period.
“Pk kw” refers to your peak demand, or the highest half-hour of electrical usage during the billing period. The peak demand charge is applied to commercial and industrial customers due to their wide variance in the amount of energy used during various times during the monthly billing period. You can reduce the impact of the demand charge by being aware of how you use energy at different times of the day, increasing your energy efficiency, and keeping your energy usage at more stable levels.
Under Current Period, each of the charges is listed as required by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC). Beginning in the late 1990s, PECO and other state utilities began showing each component of electric service in an itemized fashion. We had a “bundled” rate in the past. The itemized charges allow you to compare the generation charges with other suppliers.
The Customer Charge is a fixed amount each month for maintaining your account. It covers services such as metering, billing, and customer service.
The generation, transmission, distribution and transition charges appear more than once on your bill with different rates. Charges for these services are based on declining cost rate “blocks”. On the sample bill, using the generation charges, the first 1,496 kWh is $0.12770 and the remaining block of 3,384 kWh is $0.05020. This method of pricing is repeated for Transmission, Distribution, and Transition. These charges added together represent the total electric rate.
The Generation charge covers the production of electricity and is currently capped through 2010. Rates are based upon how much energy is used (consumption) and the profile in which it is used (demand).
The Transmission charge covers moving high-voltage electricity from a power plant to the PECO system. FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, regulates Transmission prices and services.
The Distribution charge covers PECO’s delivery of electricity from high-voltage lines to customers, including maintenance of electric substations, distribution circuits and other equipment.
The Transition charge is temporary in Pennsylvania. It will appear on your bill during the transition or rate cap period, which ends December 31, 2010 for PECO.
Certain taxes are included in the PECO basic rates. However, some taxes change. These changes are reflected as a charge or credit in the State Tax Adjustment.
Your monthly bill reflects many factors – our rates and your usage, as we discussed. In addition, your usage varies greatly due to weather and energy efficiency. We hope this information brings you a better understanding of your bill and how you can control your costs.
For information on bill payment options, call 1-800-220-7326 on visit www.peco.com/programs/bill.