How to read an electric rate schedule
A rate schedule is the rulebook for one class of customers. In an April 2026 copy of the OpenEI rate database, 2,588 utilities have 6,298 open home plans on file, and 5,554 of the 5,569 plans priced in dollars per month carry a fixed charge. The median is $12.52 a month.
What the words mean
EIA defines a rate schedule as “The rates, charges, and provisions under which service is supplied to the designated class of customers”. A tariff is the larger book: “A published volume of rate schedules and general terms and conditions under which a product or service will be supplied”.
So the tariff is the binder, and each rate schedule is one section of it. A customer is billed under one schedule. The bill then adds separate sheets, called riders or adjustments, that sit in the same tariff.
Your bill names the schedule, often by a code such as R or RS-1. The name is on the first page or in a box on the bill. If you cannot find it, our bill reading guide shows the usual places.
The parts of a schedule
Most schedules are built from the same few parts. Not every schedule has every part.
| Term on the schedule | What it means | How it reaches your bill |
|---|---|---|
| Applicability or availability | Which customers may use the schedule: home, small business, all-electric, a size limit | If you are on the wrong one, every line below is wrong |
| Customer or service charge | A fixed amount per billing period, set by the schedule | Added every month, whatever your use |
| Energy charge | A price per kWh | kWh on the bill times this price |
| Blocks or tiers | Different prices for the first kWh and for kWh above a set amount | Your use is split at the block limit and each part is priced separately |
| Seasons | Different prices or block limits in summer and winter | The same kWh costs a different amount by month |
| Time-of-use periods | Different prices at different hours, days and seasons | Needs an interval meter; see the time-of-use guide |
| Demand charge | A price per kW of the highest use in a short window | Usually a business line, but some home schedules have one |
| Riders and adjustments | Separate lines for fuel cost, programs, taxes and other pass-throughs, often listed in other sheets of the tariff | Added to the base lines; each has its own sheet in the tariff |
| Minimum bill | The least you can be billed | Applies when the calculated bill is lower |
| Effective date | When the sheet took effect and which case or order set it | Tells you whether the bill you hold used this version |
Source: EIA Energy Glossary, eia.gov/tools/glossary (rate schedule, tariff, energy charge, demand charge); structure from our reading of the URDB fields. Retrieved 2026-10-02. CSV, 10 rows.
Two EIA definitions are worth keeping. The energy charge is “That portion of the charge for electric service based upon the electric energy (kWh) consumed or billed”. The demand charge is “That portion of the consumer's bill for electric service based on the consumer's maximum electric capacity usage and calculated based on the billing demand charges under the applicable rate schedule”. The first is a price for kWh. The second is a price for kW. Our kWh vs kW guide shows the difference.
What open home plans look like
The 2026 snapshot holds 6,298 open home plans at 2,588 utilities. By our reading of the database fields, 2,502 plans (40%) have tiers, 1,777 (28%) have time-of-use pricing and 281 (4%) have a demand charge. 659 utilities have at least one time-of-use plan.
One utility often lists several plans: standard, all-electric, time-of-use, EV. The file does not say which plan any customer is on.
United States, Share of open home rate plans with each feature, URDB snapshot April 2026: EIA retail sales.
CSV| Utility | Open home plans on file | With time-of-use pricing | With tiers | With a demand charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | 55 | 35 | 50 | 0 |
| Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | 47 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| NSTAR Electric Company | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PacifiCorp (Wyoming) | 39 | 18 | 16 | 5 |
| Salt River Project | 38 | 38 | 1 | 9 |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc (North Carolina) | 35 | 4 | 19 | 0 |
| Southern California Edison Co | 34 | 25 | 18 | 0 |
| Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. | 32 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 32 | 20 | 10 | 8 |
| Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc | 26 | 12 | 10 | 4 |
Source: OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0. Plans without an end date at the snapshot, plans labelled closed dropped. The table shows the ten utilities with the most plans on file. Retrieved 2026-10-02. CSV, 2588 rows.
The fixed charge, in numbers
Of 5,569 plans with a fixed charge listed per month, 5,554 have one above zero. The middle value is $12.52. One plan in ten charges $5.00 or less and one in ten charges $30.00 or more.
The fixed charge is why the price per kWh on your bill is not the price in the schedule. It spreads over fewer kWh in a low-use month. The table shows the effect with round inputs.
| Monthly use, kWh (our scenario) | Energy part | Fixed charge | Bill | Effective cents per kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | $24.00 | $12.52 | $36.52 | 12.2 |
| 600 | $48.00 | $12.52 | $60.52 | 10.1 |
| 900 | $72.00 | $12.52 | $84.52 | 9.4 |
| 1,200 | $96.00 | $12.52 | $108.52 | 9.0 |
Assumptions (our scenario): Energy part = kWh times 8.00 cents, the median across utilities of the lowest energy rate in their open home plans (OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0). Fixed charge = $12.52, the median monthly fixed charge of home plans listed in dollars per month. No riders, taxes or tiers are included.
Read the last column. At 300 kWh the fixed charge lifts the effective price to 12.2 cents. At 1,200 kWh it is 9.0. The energy rate did not change. Only the share of the bill that is fixed changed. EIA’s average price is revenue divided by kWh, so it already contains these fixed charges: do not add them again to the state price on this site.
Check your bill against the schedule, in five steps
1. Find the schedule name on the bill and look it up on your utility’s tariff page. 2. Confirm you are on the right one: home, not small business; the time-of-use or all-electric version only if you chose it. 3. Redo the fixed and energy lines with your kWh. 4. Add each rider the bill lists, using its own sheet. 5. If the total is off, ask the utility to explain the difference line by line, and keep the date and name.
Your state commission posts or links to approved tariffs. See the regulator directory and a state page such as the Texas help page, which lists the commission for that state.
Where to compare plans
Our rate plans page summarizes the same URDB data by utility. For the case where you can choose a supplier, see TDU vs REP and how to compare electric companies.
The method note: TOU means 2 or more energy periods with 2 or more distinct rates. Tiered means 2 or more usage tiers with 2 or more distinct rates. A demand charge means a kW charge above zero. These are our rules on the URDB fields, and they will not match every utility’s own wording. Plans may have changed since the 2026-04-17 snapshot, and the latest plan edit in it is 2026-04-14.
What this page cannot tell you
We have no data on how many customers sit on each schedule, on riders or taxes, or on the current status of a plan at your address. The database is a copy captured on one date, so a plan may be out of date or missing: no data. Use the utility’s own tariff sheet for the legal text.
Key facts and where they come from
| Fact | Value | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open home plans in the snapshot | 6,298 | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Utilities with plans on file | 2,588 | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Plans with a tiered energy rate (our reading) | 2,502 (40%) | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Plans with a time-of-use energy rate (our reading) | 1,777 (28%) | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Plans with a demand charge (our reading) | 281 (4%) | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Utilities with at least one time-of-use plan | 659 | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Median monthly fixed charge, plans above zero | $12.52 | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Fixed charge, 10th and 90th percentile | $5.00 and $30.00 | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| Median of utilities' lowest listed energy rate | 8.00 cents per kWh | OpenEI Utility Rate Database (URDB), NREL, copy captured 2026-04-17 by the Internet Archive; CC BY 4.0 | snapshot 2026-04-17 |
| EIA definition of rate schedule | Rates, charges and provisions for a class of customers | EIA Energy Glossary, eia.gov/tools/glossary | retrieved 2026-10-02 |
| EIA definition of tariff | Published volume of rate schedules and terms and conditions | EIA Energy Glossary, eia.gov/tools/glossary | retrieved 2026-10-02 |
| EIA definition of energy charge | The part of the charge based on kWh consumed or billed | EIA Energy Glossary, eia.gov/tools/glossary | retrieved 2026-10-02 |
| U.S. average home price | 17.30 cents per kWh | EIA retail sales, 2025 | 2025 annual |
Related guides
Questions
What is a rate schedule?
EIA defines it as the rates, charges and provisions under which service is supplied to a designated class of customers. It is one section of the tariff.
What is the difference between a tariff and a rate schedule?
A tariff is a published volume of rate schedules plus general terms and conditions (EIA). A rate schedule is one class of service inside it.
How do I find my schedule?
Look for a code on the bill, then find it on your utility's tariff page. The database copy we use lists 6,298 open home plans across 2,588 utilities, so the exact code matters.
Why is my bill per kWh higher than the energy rate?
The fixed charge and riders add to it. In the database the median monthly fixed charge is $12.52, which adds 4.2 cents per kWh at 300 kWh.
What does tiered mean?
The price changes with how many kWh you use in the period. 40% of open home plans in the snapshot have tiers by our reading.
Do home plans have demand charges?
A few do: 281 of 6,298 open home plans in the snapshot (4%) have a kW charge by our reading.
Can I pick any schedule?
Not always. Availability rules limit who can use each one. In the snapshot 659 utilities list at least one time-of-use plan beside their standard plan; ask yours which home schedules you may choose.
Where is the legal text?
In your utility's tariff, approved by your state commission. This page summarizes a database copy captured on 2026-04-17 and is not the tariff.