Bill Sample – CoServ

Glossary of terms:

Annual Pipeline Safety Fee: The Railroad Commission of Texas has been authorized to assess an annual program fee on natural gas distribution operators subject to the Commission’s pipeline safety jurisdiction under Texas Utilities Code, Chapter 121, to fund the Commission’s pipeline safety and regulatory programs.

Account Number: Unique number that identifies your electric and/or gas account. Whenever you contact CoServ, have this number ready so we can quickly locate your records. You’ll also use this number when paying your bill.

Billing Period (Days): A billing period is the period between two consecutive meter reading dates and typically ranges from twenty-eight (28) to thirty-three (33) days. For details, see Section 324.2 of the Tariff.

Capital Credits: As a member of an electric cooperative, you invest in CoServ Electric through your annual kilowatt-hour purchases. Read the following articles to learn more.

Ccf: The amount of gas (in Ccf) you used during the billing cycle. We calculate this by subtracting the prior month’s meter reading from the current month’s meter reading.

City Sales Tax: A tax set by the city of your service location. For details, see Section 203.6 of the tariff.

Customer Charge: This charge recoups a portion of the cost of being connected to the distribution system. This includes installation, operation and maintenance of distribution lines, transformers, substations and meters that comprise the distribution grid connected to your location. It also helps pay for costs such as billing, maintaining your records and additional administrative expenses.

Energy Charge: The Electric Energy Charge represents the cost of providing power to your home/business. This charge includes wholesale power cost recovery factor (PCRF) adjustments and fixed costs associated with delivery (Customer Charge).

Gas Multiplier: Some residential gas accounts have a multiplier added to them. CoServ Gas calculates the pressure when the meter is first set at a home. If the pressure is greater than 4 ounces, the multiplier (1.12) then applies for billing purposes.

Gas Rate Case Expense – During the recent rate case, CoServ Gas incurred legal and consulting fees to prepare and pursue the rate case. Pursuant to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) order, CoServ Gas reimbursed the legal and consulting costs of the municipalities that intervened in the rate case. The RRC allows CoServ Gas to recover these costs over an approximate 24 month period at of rate of $0.00333 per Ccf consumed. The recovery of these fees is annually reviewed by the Commission and in the event of an over-recovery, the over-recovery amount is ultimately returned to the customers.

Gross Receipts Tax: A tax charged by the state of Texas on the gross revenues of a utility doing business in a city with a population greater than 1,000. This is a pass-through charge based on your gas usage. For details, see Section 203.6 of the tariff.

kWh: The amount of electricity (in kWh) you used during the billing cycle. We calculate this by subtracting the prior month’s meter reading from the current month’s meter reading.

Membership fee: All active Members pay a one-time $15 fee to join the cooperative. This fee gives Members ownership in the co-op and all the benefits that come with it. It is refunded when a Member closes all their accounts and/or moves out of the service territory. Members with multiple CoServ accounts only pay one Membership fee. For details, see Section 204.2 of the tariff.

Municipal Franchise/District Fee: Some cities charge a fee to use street rights-of-way for placement of distribution lines. Only those Customers who live in a city that requires CoServ to pay this charge have a Franchise Fee on their bills. This is a pass-through fee that goes back to your city. (If you live in a quasi-government area, such as Savannah, this charge is called a District fee.) For details, see Section 203.6 of the tariff.

Net-Metering Bill Statements Only (Del, Rec, Net):

Del: When your house is using more energy than your solar system is producing, energy from the grid combines with solar to supply your house, and the meter flows forward. This is the energy delivered to your home.

Rec: When your solar panels are producing more than your house’s consumption, the excess solar energy not needed by your house flows onto the grid, and the meter flows backward. This is the energy received by CoServ. This amount will not match the output registered on your solar inverter; it represents only the excess solar production that is not needed by your house.

Net: This is the net total of energy that moved forward (DEL) and the energy that moved backward (Rec) on the meter. You are billed on this amount. CoServ’s current net-metering policy gives you full retail credit on all energy produced providing that your solar panels did not produce more energy than your house consumed at the end of the billing cycle.

Operation Roundup®: Participating Customers’ bills are rounded up to the nearest dollar, and the extra change is donated to the CoServ Charitable Foundation, which supports worthy causes right here in your community. The average Customer contributes $6 per year.

PCRF: A Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF) allows CoServ to adjust for changes in wholesale fuel costs. Because wholesale costs can fluctuate from month to month, CoServ uses the PCRF to more accurately calculate your bill. When our wholesale power costs go up, the PCRF increases, and vice versa. If the PCRF is a negative (as it has been since May 2009), we subtract it from the base rate to calculate your bill. For details, see Section 203.1 of the tariff. As a Member-owned, not-for-profit company, CoServ does not markup up our wholesale costs for profit.

PGF: The purchased gas factor is multiplied by your usage to calculate your wholesale gas costs. The amount does not include markup or profit.

Rates: Visit the following articles for details about your rate or to learn about additional rate options:

Usage Charge: This portion of the service charge is based on the volume of gas (measured in Ccf) used during the service period.

WNA: Weather Normalization Adjustment—A seasonal calculation on December–May statements based on predicted normal temperatures (using NOAA data). It provides an adjustment if temperatures are colder or warmer than normal.

If you have additional questions about your bill, please click here.

Glossary of terms:

Related articles