Category Archives: CFE Billing & Credit

DAC Threshold Calculator

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DAC Overview

CFE prices home electricity on a subsidized scale, but each tariff (1, 1A–1F) caps how much you can average per month before losing that subsidy. Exceed the cap over a trailing 12-month period, and CFE reclassifies your account as Doméstico de Alto Consumo (DAC) — high consumption. Your whole bill then shifts to a much higher rate, and it’s hard to reverse without sustained lower usage.

Because it’s a rolling average, DAC status can creep up unnoticed. A hot summer, guests staying longer, or a new appliance can push your average past the limit months before it shows up clearly on a bill.

This calculator runs the same math: enter your tariff and your last 12 months (or six bimonthly bills) of kWh from your CFE bill, and it shows your rolling average against your threshold — how much room you have left, or how far over you are.

Read more about the DAC

Read our blog about the DAC Rate.

DAC Threshold Calculator

Read below the calculator for instructions on how to use it!

DAC Threshold Calculator

Consumption vs. DAC Threshold

Readings (kWh) DAC threshold Rolling average

How to use the calculator

1. Select the Tarifa noted on your bill.

   

2. Select the Current bill month ending from your latest bill.

3. Select your billing frequency.

4. Enter your CFE bill’s last 12 months of consumption to see the rolling average and check it against the DAC threshold limit for the tarifa you are on.  Start by entering the total from the front of your current bill, then input the remaining values from the table on the second page.

 

Source: CFE, Tarifa Doméstica de Alto Consumo (DAC). CFE reclassifies an account to DAC when its average monthly consumption over the trailing 365 days of billed readings exceeds its assigned tariff’s limit — this tool approximates that using the 12 most recent readings you enter. Figures shown are examples until you enter your own.

Paying your CFE Bill

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So you have your first CFE bill and you’re trying to figure out how am I gonna pay this?  In this blog we explain your options!

Please note if you are after the “Limite de Pago” date on the bill you MUST pay it at the CFE office.  Payments made any other way can run the risk of not being received in time and you will get cutoff.

CFE – ONLINE

Set-up your account online with CFE and you can pay your bill using a Mexican Debit or Credit Cards or American Express.   You will need to set up an account first and then add your service number (“No. de Servicio”) after.  Then add your card.  CFE also has a great phone app called CFE Contigo that you can find here for Android and here for iPhone.   Mexican cards only with the only exception being American Express.
** Reports have been made to us that as of mid 2024 American Express is not being taken by CFE online.

WESTERN UNION – ONLINE

Western Union allows you to pay your CFE Bill online with a US Credit Card.  Does not work for Canadian Credit Cards, US Only.  Handling fee of $2.99 USD applied.

XOOM – ONLINE

XOOM allows you to pay your CFE Bill online with a US Credit Card or a Canadian Credit Card.  Handling fee of $4.99 USD applied.

PANGEA MONEY TRANSFER – ONLINE

Pangea Money Transfer allows you to pay your CFE Bill online with a US Credit Card only.  Will not work for Canadian Cards.  Handling fee applies.  Has a phone App.

MEXICAN BANK – ONLINE

Almost any Mexican Bank is set-up for online bill payment to CFE.  It may not be the easiest to use depending on the bank.

I tried it once with my Banorte account.  I thought I’d paid the bill until a couple of weeks later on a Tuesday in September at 2:30pm when I was cut-off.  Went and paid the bill at CFE and it was a sweaty 24 hours until they came back to turn it.

MEXICAN BANK – ACH

Almost any Mexican Bank is set-up for ACH or auto-debit of the payment to CFE.  I have been told you need to go to the bank to set this up.  Like all trips to the bank take absolutely every bit of ID (Passport, Resident Card, Drivers Licence) and allow at least 2 hours to complete!

OXXO – IN PERSON

Bring your CFE BIll to your local Oxxo.  They will scan it and take cash to pay the bill.  It comes with a 9 Peso fee charged by Oxxo.

CFE OFFICE – IN PERSON

At your local CFE office you can pay in person or at the CFE Matico kiosks. The kiosks are easy, just queue up and scan the bar code on your bill.  Your name and bill details will appear and you can begin slipping Peso notes into the machine.  Sometimes the machine is out of smaller notes to make change.  Don’t worry, just overpay the bill and you’ll have less to pay next time.

The new kiosk machines have card readers that will allow you to pay with your Mexican Debit or Credit Card instead of cash.

In 2024, I observed a CFE Kiosk Card Machine taking a Canadian Credit Card.  Worth a try…

CFE OFFICE – PREPAYMENT

One of the best options for Expats who are not around full time is to go to the CFE office before you leave and prepay.  Figure out what you bill amounts are likely to be while you are gone (hopefully small since you aren’t there), round up to the nearest thousand pesos.  You can scan any old bill anytime at the kiosk and it will allow you to throw money on the account.  Stuff the machines with all the Pesos you figure you need and get your Recibo.  Monitor your bills online and you’ll see the credit amount and the deductions as each bill comes through.

CHECKING YOUR PREPAYMENT BALANCE

CFE is now showing your pre-pay balance on the CFE Contigo App.  While its not entirely clear on your CFE bill, it is on the App.

On the App look for “Estatus” field.  If it shows “Saldo a favor” this means “Positive Balance”.  In the case of the account shown in the picture, 1,000 Pesos was pre-paid to the account.  When the bill was ready, 122 Pesos, it was paid out of the pre-pay balance, leaving a positive balance of 878 Pesos.

CFE Online Bill Payment Setup

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Get yourself setup for on-line CFE bill payment

Getting set-up to pay online on the CFE website can be troublesome.  The great video below from “Almost Retired in Mexico’s” Brighton West steps you through how to do it.

Pre-requisites for doing this are the following:

  • You must have your latest CFE bill in your possession or photographs of it handy.
  • There are 3 parts to the bill which you will need for validation.  See image below for the 3 items noted in red.  Do not be concerned if the bill is not in your name yet.  It doesn’t matter at all.  What does matter is that you pay the bill.  Read more here about just paying your bill – CFE and Credit.
  • You will only be able to pay with a Mexican Bank Debit Card or Mexican Credit Card.  Sorry, they aren’t taking anything else.  For other options read our blog Paying your CFE Bill.
  • If you don’t have a Mexican Debit or Credit card it is still great to be set-up online and have your CFE bill sent to you by email and to also be able to look online to confirm your payment has gone through.

The 3 Pre-requisites from your LATEST CFE bill

Follow the video to get setup for online bill payment

Check out Brighton’s Youtube Channel “Almost Retired in Mexico” for many more videos about living in Mexico!

Check out all our MXe Blogs including how to read your bill and download the PDF guide to reading your bill.

MXe on Almost Retired in Mexico

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MXelectricity’s Dean Short & Almost Retired in Mexico’s Brighton West discuss CFE Bills and more…

In this video, Dean and Brighton talk about a number of subjects:

  • How to read your CFE bill.
  • Different Tarifa zones across the country.
  • Different prices in summer and winter. Different prices depending on how much electricity you use.
  • Using too much electricity with get you get stuck on the DAC – the highest rate – for up to a year.
  • We also talk about adding solar – and how it’s different in Mexico compared to the United States

If you’re an expat living in Mexico, you’ll want to watch this video to understand your electric bill.

Check out Brighton’s Youtube Channel “Almost Retired in Mexico” for many more videos about living in Mexico!

Check out all our MXe Blogs including how to read your bill and download the PDF guide to reading your bill.

Understanding your CFE Bill

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Understanding your CFE bill is the first step in managing your electricity costs.  After reading our Guide to Understanding your CFE Bill you should be well on your way.  This guide is also available to download as a PDF so you can print it and use it to review your CFE Bill. 

CFE may use different layouts for their electricity bills.  If your bill doesn’t look exactly like this example, the titles of the items and charges should be the same maybe just in different places.   

CFE Bill – Page 1

1. Service Number – identifier of your CFE account

2. Tariff applied to the bill – normally 1-something, in Los Cabos 1C.  If it says DAC – check out our page on the DAC Rate here.

3. Meter Number – number identifying the meter

4. Meter Multiplier – older style meters with the 5 dials will have a multiplier value, for new electronic meters this value will be 1

5. Billing Period (PERIODO FACTURADO) – the date from and to for which the bill is calculated for

6. Payment Due Date (LIMITE DE PAGO) – the date by which the bill must be paid.  If you are paying right on the due date, you must pay at the self-serve machines at the CFE office

7. Cut-off Date (CORTE A PARTIR) – the date that you will be cut off.  Yes you will be cut-off that day, no power, nothing.  Read all about why you are being cut-off here CFE and Credit.  Unlike utilities at home – CFE extends no credit.

8. Energy Charge(s) (CONCEPTO )- your bill is calculated based on the applicable published CFE tariff and the line items outlined in the tariff.

9. Line Item Types – CFE residential tariffs have a number of basic line items based on consumption price bands.  You will find the types of Basico, Intermedio, Excedente on Winter Bills indicating the 1st, 2nd and last price levels applied to your bill.  On summer bills you will find the types of Basico, Intermedio1, Intermedio2, Excedente indicating the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and last price levels applied to your bill.  Suma is the sum total of the kWh and the charges.  Price per kWh increases as you move from Basico to Exedente.  If you are finding you have a number greater than zero for Exidente you will have used up all the kWh volumes alloted to you for the lower price levels.

10. Current Meter Reading – the reading just taken for this bill

11. Previous Meter Reading – the reading from the previous bill

12. Energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) – for the period & by charge line item

13. Price in Pesos per kWh – for each charge line item

14. Subtotal in Pesos – by line item

15. Subtotal for all energy charges

16. High Usage Warning – infographic showing your consumption in the period with respect to approaching the DAC limit for your tariff. Translated it says “This graph reflects your consumption level. The less use, the more support.” This replaces the former speedometer graphic on the previous CFE bill.

17. CFE advertisement

18. Supply cost breakdown – while the title translates as “Energy costs in the Wholesale Electricity Market”, these are not just wholesale market costs but include other elements. See below for a translation of each item.

  • Supply (Suministro) – costs for CFE to create and send you a bill
  • Distribution (Distribución) – costs for use of the Distribution System
  • Transmission (Transmisión) – costs for use of the Transmission System
  • National Control Center (CENACE) – costs for National Control Center Operator
  • Energy (Energía) – costs for energy produced
  • Capacity (Capacidad) – costs for generation capacity needed for reliability
  • Wholesale Electricity Market (SCnMEM) – costs for energy trading in the wholesale market.

19. Government Subsidy – translated as “Government Support” it is calculated as the sum of the costs in in the Supply Cost breakdown (Section 18) minus the Subtotal for all energy charges. CFE Tariff rates for home and farm consumers have a government subsidy built in based on forecasts. The actual subsidy will vary as costs in the market to supply changes each month.

20. Final bill calculations – including: Energy (Energia) for the period, IVA @ 16%, Period Total (Fac. Del Periodo), Previous Billed Amount (Adeudo Anterior), Your Payment (Su Pago) and Total amount due.

CFE Bill – Page 2

Mostly advertising here… but there are two important things that tell you about how you’re doing.

21. Consumption History Table – your previous consumption history for the past 11 periods (22 months) not including your current bill.  At any one time you have a full 2 years of history on the bill.

22. Consumption History Chart – your previous consumption history for the past 11 periods (22 months) not including your current bill represented as a bar chart.

Our guide to Understanding your CFE Bill is available for download as a PDF file

Download the PDF guide

The Pedregal Myth

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Known as the Hollywood Hills of Cabo San Lucas, Pedregal is home to some of the largest homes in the Los Cabos area.

There is a myth about the community of Pedregal.  The story goes that Pedregal is special and unique that the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) has a special rate for homes in Pedregal.

There two rates in Los Cabos for residential services: 

  • Tarifa 1C – the regular rate
  • Tarifa DAC (Doméstico Alto Consumo) – the rate customers end up on when they consume above the DAC limit of 10,200 kWh over the past year (6 bills) including the latest bill.

Built into the 1C rate is a subsidy from the government for residential consumers.  By consuming too much, you get placed on the DAC Rate which has no subsidy.  Your rate for electricity has essentially doubled.

That special rate in Pedregal can only be the DAC.   Lots of AC and excessive Pool Pump operation are just a couple of reasons you can end up on the DAC.

Read more about the DAC Rate here including options for getting off it.

The DAC Rate

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People often move into their home in Mexico and begin living like they might at home in the US or Canada.  One expectation few have is the impact of not paying attention to your electricity usage and CFE bill.  Run your ACs, enjoy that waterfall into the pool or your courtyard fountain.  Without some thought you can end up on the dreaded DAC (Doméstico Alto Consumo).  It’s a surprise to almost everyone when it happens.  Here’s what it is and how it kicks in to play.

What is the DAC?

The DAC is a rate that kicks in when you consume too much.  There is a component of your regular bill which includes a subsidy from the government for home consumers.  When you consume to much, you are placed on the DAC which has no subsidy.  Your rate for electricity essentially doubles.

How do I get on the DAC?

In Los Cabos, the regular rate (or “Tarifa”) on the bill is called “1C”.  On the 1C rate in Los Cabos, the DAC limit is 10,200 kWh over the past year (6 bills) including the latest bill.  It is a rolling calculation that is recalculated each bill as a previous bill drops off and another one comes along.  It is an evaluation of your usage over that past year.  Use more than 10,200 kWh in a year and you will be billed on the DAC Rate instead of 1C starting with the bill where you first exceeded the limit.

In the chart below a two year period is illustrated.  the DAC limit is the black dashed line and the DAC consumption being evaluated each bill in grey.  Bi-monthly kWh consumption are blue bars.  The blue dashed line is the recommended limit on the bill represented by the Green to Red Usage bar on the CFE bill shown below.

For a CFE bill in Los Cabos this is 1,700 kWh (10,200 ÷ 6 bills).  Approaching 1,700 kWh for that bill will put the arrow marker in the red.  Being over 1,700 kWh will put the marker past the end.

Looking at the DAC consumption (grey area) in the graph below you will see the that the home was operating well below the limit for over a year.  The DAC consumption started to increase steadily in February 2019 and kicked in in August with a bill of 6,741 kWh.

How do I figure out if I’m close to the DAC limit?

Try our DAC Threshold Calculator to figure out how close you are whether you need to make changes.

How do I get off the DAC?

Once you are on the DAC, getting off of it involves getting the DAC consumption (grey line above) back below the DAC limit.  This involves reducing your usage for each bill, bill after bill until the 12 month total is below 10,200 kWh. 

There are 2 ways to get off the DAC rate once you have managed to get yourself on it:

  1. Change your electricity consumption – in the chart above this would mean changing the consumption considerably by doing much less of what caused it to run up in the first place.  For many people it may involve some changes is habit, resetting pool pump run timers and installing LED lighting.  In doing so, it will take up to a full year to unwind you off the DAC.
  2. Install Solar Panels to offset consumption – for anyone who finds they cannot alter their consumption, solar panels are your only answer.  That said installing them doesn’t give you an instant change and once you have them it may still take a full year to unwind you off the DAC.  

What else can I do? …….  New Home Owner

If you have just bought the property and inherited this situation – you are in luck.  CFE allows for a reset of DAC consumption history when you are a new owner of an existing property.  This is basically a fresh start with no previous bills included in the calculation.  CFE will need your Fideicomiso or Escritura to verify you are the new owner and will reset the history based on your possession date.

CFE and Credit

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Many people end up being concerned about having the bill in their name or not in their name if you have just sold your property.  The fear and concern comes from home in the US or Canada where the name on the bill is important because of credit extended by the utility company.  Using electricity with someone else’s name on the bill or with your name still on the bill and you don’t live there anymore is uncomfortable for most.  In Mexico, CFE’s isn’t as concerned about who’s name is on the bill as they are about the bill getting paid.

CFE cuts you off

Regardless of the name on the bill, if you don’t pay the bill, you will be cut-off.  You will stay cut-off until the bill gets paid again.  It’s just that simple.

New Property Owner

When a new property owner takes possession, it may take a while before they will have their property title.  This is needed to get the CFE electricity bill into your name.  Don’t worry about the bill being in the previous owners name.  JUST PAY THE BILL!

Renter

When you are a renter you will never get the bill in your name.  CFE won’t allow it.  The name on the bill stays with the owner of the house.  You as tenant will need to pay the bill or you will get cut-off.  JUST PAY THE BILL!

Departing Property Owner

When a you are a departing property owner having just sold your property, don’t have CFE shut off the supply.  This will create a HUGE inconvenience for the buyer.  Foreigners worry that somehow they will owe money unless they cut off the service and get their name off the bill.  This is not true.  The new owner will need to pay the bill.  If they don’t pay the bill, the electricity will be cut-off.  You will owe nothing.