Your first bill in a deregulated state can feel like alphabet soup. Here’s what it really means.
Two big parts:
- Supply – The electricity itself (what you buy from your chosen supplier).
- Delivery – The utility’s cost to move it through the wires to your business.
Common charges you’ll see:
- Energy Supply – Your actual power cost (rate × usage).
- Delivery Charges – Utility fees for transmission, distribution, and demand (peak usage).
- Capacity / Demand – Extra charges if your business uses lots of power at once.
- Taxes & Fees – State and local add-ons you can’t avoid.
Quick checks:
- Does your bill match the contract you signed? If you agreed to a fixed rate, make sure there aren’t “surprise” extras.
- Is the supplier name correct? Mistakes happen.
- Compare this month to last year’s bill — if usage is the same but costs jumped, ask why.
Tips:
- Track your bills for a few months to catch errors early.
- If you see strange charges, call your supplier — good ones will explain.
- Many utilities have online dashboards to make bills easier to read.
👉 Bottom line: Your bill has two parts — supply and delivery. Focus on the supply rate you chose, and always double-check it matches your contract.
Next: Types of Energy Contracts – how different deals change what shows up on your bill →