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
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
