MEC's Current Electric Rates
Our rate books are published on the Michigan Public Service Commission's website.
Understanding Your Bill
Wondering what all the lines on your electric bill mean? We've put together a simple breakdown to explain.
(These are your current rates on your bill. For a full list of rates, click here.)
Monthly Service Charge
It is: A flat fee that helps cover the maintenance and items that make your electricity possible, such as poles, wires, line trucks, substations, and more. Regardless of how much electricity you use—or don’t use—we still need to maintain and invest in the system. Even if you use alternative electricity sources like solar, this fee is still required because we must maintain and provide the infrastructure to deliver electricity to your home when you do need it.
It is not: A membership fee to be part of the cooperative. You may remember when we used to charge that fee, but we eliminated it over 20 years ago.
Distribution Charge
This charge reflects your kilowatt usage and includes any additional operational costs not captured by the service charge.
Energy Charge
This represents the cost of generating and transmitting the power you used during the billing cycle.
We do not generate electricity. Instead, we purchase it from Wolverine Power Cooperative, our power supply partner. The energy comes into our substations over transmission lines, and we distribute the power to your home.
We collect the money as part of your monthly bill and pay that back to Wolverine.
Power Cost Adjustment
This variable charge represents the difference between what we budget for power supply and what we actually pay.
PA 295
This pays for our rebate program that is part of Michigan’s Energy Waste Reduction Act (EWR), which requires utilities to offer programs that help members use energy more efficiently. Energy providers are required to implement this surcharge to collect the funds. Click here to learn more.
Please note that since this program is part of the state of Michigan’s requirements, it is not available to Indiana or Ohio customers.
Optional Programs or Services
If you participate in our community solar, any load management program, or net metering, or if you have a security light, your charges or credits appear above the state tax line.
MI Low-Income Energy Fund
This was established by the Michigan legislature in 2013 as a long-term solution to assist eligible residents with their utility bills. Energy providers collect the funds, then turn them over to be managed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. This fixed monthly fee is capped at $1.
Energy-Temperature Comparison
To the left of your breakdown of charges is a graph comparing your monthly energy usage to average outdoor temperatures over the last 13 months. This is a useful tool for predicting when you'll use the most energy in a given year.
Energy Usage Comparison
Underneath your breakdown of charges are a few fast facts about your energy usage this billing cycle. Blue bubbles on the left compare your total energy usage this month, last month, and this month last year, while green bubbles on the right contain your daily averages from this month.
