Terms Associated with Your Texas Bill
Advanced Metering Charge - A charge assessed to recover a TDU’s charges for Advanced Metering Systems, to the extent that they are not recovered in a TDU’s standard metering charge. Acceptable abbreviation: Advanced Meter.
Base Charge - A charge assessed during each billing cycle without regard to the customer’s demand or energy consumption.
Competition Transition Charge - A charge assessed to recover a TDU’s charges for non-securitized costs associated with the transition to competition. Acceptable abbreviation: Competition Transition.
Demand Charge - A charge based on the rate at which electric energy is delivered to or by a system at a given instant, or averaged over a designated period, during the billing cycle.
Energy Charge-- A charge based on the electric energy (kWh) consumed.
Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor - A charge assessed to recover a TDU’s costs for energy efficiency programs, to the extent that the TDU charge is a separate charge exclusively for that purpose that is approved by the Public Utility Commission. Acceptable abbreviation: Energy Efficiency.
Late Payment Penalty - A charge assessed for late payment in accordance with Public Utility Commission rules.
Meter Charge - A charge assessed to recover a TDU’s charges for metering a customer’s consumption, to the extent that the TDU charge is a separate charge exclusively for that purpose that is approved by the Public Utility Commission.
Miscellaneous Gross Receipts Tax Reimbursement - A fee assessed to recover the miscellaneous gross receipts tax imposed on retail electric providers operating in an incorporated city or town having a population of more than 1,000. Acceptable abbreviation: Gross Receipts Reimb.
Nuclear Decommissioning Fee - A charge assessed to recover a TDU’s charges for decommissioning of nuclear generating sites. Acceptable abbreviation: Nuclear Decommission.
PUC Assessment - A fee assessed to recover the statutory fee for administering the Public Utility Regulatory Act.
Sales Tax - Sales tax collected by authorized taxing authorities, such as the state, cities and special purpose districts.
System Benefit Fund - A non-by-passable charge approved by the Public Utility Commission, not to exceed 65 cents per megawatt-hour, that funds the low-income discount, one-time bill payment assistance, customer education, commission administrative expenses, and low-income energy efficiency programs.
TDU Delivery Charges - The total amounts assessed by a TDU for the delivery of electricity to a customer over poles and wires and other TDU facilities not including discretionary charges.
Transmission Distribution Surcharges - One or more TDU surcharge(s) on a customer’s bill in any combination. Surcharges include charges billed as tariff riders by the TDU. Acceptable abbreviation: TDU Surcharges.
Transition Charge - A charge assessed to recover a TDU’s charges for securitized costs associated with the transition to competition.