Understanding Your Utility Bills
Electric Bills
kW - Kilowatt
The kilowatt (symbol: kW), equal to one thousand watts, is typically used to state the power output of engines and the power consumption of tools and machines. kW is also a measure of the resistive portion of a total power requirement, generally understood as the amount of electrical capacity required to serve an end-use load. Depending on the rate classification at which a customer takes electrical service, kW can be located on customer bills as a regulated Delivery or Distribution Charge typically as a Billing Demand charge. Depending on the local utility company’s Tariff for Electrical Service, Billing Demand Charges may be subject to ratchet clauses and fixed over a period of billing cycles. A kilowatt is roughly equivalent to 1.34 horsepower.
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kWh - Kilowatt Hour
A unit of measure for electricity usage, the kilowatt hour (symbol kWh) is a unit of energy equal to one kilowatt (one-thousand watts) acting for one hour.
Billing Period
The time period during which you received services and for which you are being billed.
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Basic Service Charge/Customer Charge
Represents the cost of metering, electric billing and other customer services. This charge may include the cost of a minimum amount of usage that is billed whether or not energy is used.
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Transmission, Delivery and Distribution Charges
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Typically lists charges related to the cost of bringing electricity to the customer via the poles and wires for the current billing period.
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Supply/Supplier Charges
Reflects the cost of energy supply. This is the deregulated portion of your bill that can be compared to offers from competitive suppliers (Price to Compare).
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Please select a utility from the list below for more detailed information regarding the layout and explanation of your bill:
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PSE&G
PSEG Sample Bill Electric
PSEG – Understanding Your Bill
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JCP&L
JCPL – Bill Format
JCPL – Understanding Your Bill
JCPL – NJ Bill Explanation of Terms
ACE
Rockland Electric