How to read my Entergy bill
Entergy is always working to improve our customers’ billing experience. The Entergy bill’s user-friendly and colorful layout enables you to find all the important information on your bill. Charts and graphs give you the ability to track your energy usage. Definitions of line items have been added so that you can clearly understand the different parts of your bill.
Details of new bill sections
- 1. Header
- Provides your jurisdiction website, physical address or location where electrical service is provided, and important Entergy phone numbers for customer service or to report Power Outages.
- 2. Account summary
- Includes your Name, Account Number, Invoice Number, Mail Date, QPC (Quick Payment Code) and Billing Cycle. The QPC number, when used with the account number, assures that your payment is posted to the correct utility account. Every Entergy customer account is aligned with one of 21 cycles so that they are billed on, or about, the same date each month.
- 3. Amount due
- This shows the amount of your bill and your due date. This area will also indicate any Past Due amounts on your account and provide verbiage if you are on programs like Level Billing or Auto Pay and information about payment arrangements.
- 4. Energy usage & charges graph(s)
- This graph shows your energy usage – each month represents your usage amount for the month. You can compare usage to the previous year or previous month(s) to determine if your current usage is in line with the previous periods. Or you can estimate what your future usage may be. Keep in mind the fluctuations you may see can be the results of weather changes affecting usage throughout the year, particularly in summer and winter months.
- 5. Cost breakdown
- This graphic is a breakdown of your charges that is color coded to align with your Current Charges section on the back page, with the dollar amount shown for each.
- 6. Important messages
- You may see items in this section that provide you with important information like ways you can save money on your bill.
- 7. Ways to pay
- Graphic that shows different ways you can pay your bill and any fees associated with them.
- 8. Pay stub
- This section of the bill is to be sent when paying your bill with a check and mailing to Entergy.
- 9. Meter reading
- If you look at this section of your bill, you’ll see last month’s reading subtracted from this month’s reading to get the amount of kilowatt hours (kWh) you’ve used during the previous month. If your reading was estimated this information will be indicated on your bill.
- 10. Account detail
- Shows account activity since your last bill.
- 11. Current charges
- Shows all line items for your bill that are broken out into Energy Charges, Fuel Charges, and Other Charges and Credits with the total amount due for each section.
- 12. Terms and definitions
- Brief description of some of the line items on the bill. To review the full list of definitions please see section below.
Terms and definitions
- 2024 base rate relate back surcharge rider
- Recovery of costs incurred by Entergy Texas and municipalities for rate case filings.
- Accumulated difference
- The accumulated difference is the difference between your monthly level billing amount and what you would owe if you were not signed up for Level Billing. This amount must be paid in full if you cancel level billing or change providers.
- Advanced metering charge
- For upgrades associated with advanced metering and supporting systems.
- Customer charge
- A monthly charge that covers a portion of the fixed costs required to provide electricity service that is not dependent on energy usage.
- DCRF distribution cost recovery
- Recover of incremental distribution costs as defined under 16 TEX. ADMIN. CODE (TAC) § 25.243.
- Deferred payment amount
- Amounts associated with customer’s deferred payment arrangement.
- Energy charge
- Covers the cost of the system utilized to generate and deliver electric service to customers.
- Energy efficiency cost rider
- A charge approved by the Public Utility Commission to recover the electric utility’s cost of providing energy efficiency programs.
- Fuel charge
- The cost of fuel needed to generate electricity and the cost of power purchased from other Companies.
- Fuel refund
- Refund for over-recovered amounts in the Entergy Texas Inc. fuel balance
- Fuel surcharge
- Collection for under-recovered amounts in the Entergy Texas Inc. fuel balance.
- IHE higher education discount
- Credit to institutions of higher learning per PURA Section 36.351.
- Level billing calculation
- The monthly amount is calculated by taking the past 12 months of your billing history and dividing it by 12. Each month, the oldest bill is removed from the average and the current month’s bill is added.
- Local sales tax
- Sales taxes mandated by local government.
- Mark-to-market
- Provides retail customers with credits in accordance with certain tax accounting treatment.
- Municipal franchise fee
- Associated with payments required by municipalities giving the utility the right to operate within the municipality.
- Net metering installation fee
- An installed meter that registers the amount of energy supplied to the grid.
- Non-standard metering services
- Charge for costs associated with manual meter reading for customers electing to opt-out of advanced metering.
- Off-peak energy charge
- Covers the lower off-peak cost of the system utilized to generate and deliver electric service to customers.
- On-peak energy charge
- Covers the higher on-peak cost of the system utilized to generate and deliver electric service to customers.
- PCF PUCT consulting fee
- Recovery of costs relating to consulting fees and expenses incurred by Entergy Texas on behalf of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUCT”).
- PUBLIC BENEFIT FUND LI CREDIT
- Monthly credit to help reduce electric bills for qualifying low-income residential customers.
- Rate case expense rider – RCE-2, RCE-3 and RCE-4
- Recovery of costs incurred by Entergy Texas and municipalities for rate case filings.
- Rate case expense rider – RCE-5
- Recovery of costs incurred by Entergy Texas and municipalities for rate case filings.
- SCO storm cost offset
- Benefits associated with the financing of storm restoration costs.
- Solar heat collection rider
- A credit for active solar heat collection systems to provide hot water and/or space heat and utilize electric backup.
- Storm restoration cost
- Costs to rebuild infrastructure and equipment damaged by severe storms and weather events.
- SVRO
- An optional service to customers that voluntarily elect to match a portion of their monthly energy usage with renewable energy credits.
- TCRF
- For the recovery of incremental transmission costs not included in the company’s base rates.