How to Read Your Electricity Bill
We want to make sure your electricity bill is clear and makes sense to you. Since there's more to your bill than the amount due, we've created a sample bill that explains the different items that could appear on your residential bill.
Your regular monthly statement is printed on blue or green paper is is a full calculation of activity on your account up to and including the "printed on date" (section 1).
Base Rate Components
Starting December 1, 2024, the Base Rate Components* will now include Rider R (AEY Rate Adjustment Rider) and Rider J (Yukon Energy Revenue Shortfall Rider). These changes have been directed by the Yukon Utility Board to address potential customer confusion and simplify electricity billing statements. With this change, the total cost of your electricity bill will not change and will remain the same.
* Base Rate Components consist of the Customer and Energy Charges.
Bill Breakdown
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1. Bill at a Glance: This section shows you at a glance your 13-digit account number, bill payment due date and total amount due for payment.
2. Readings/codes: Reflects the meter readings or codes used to calculate how much energy was used during the billing period.
3. Meter Reading Code - “A”: indicates the actual meter reading.
4. Meter Reading Code – “E”: indicates an estimated meter reading.
Other Reading Codes Include:
- A: Actual Meter Reading
- B: Customer Meter Reading
- E: Estimated Meter Reading
- F: Manual Estimate
- G: Prorated From an Actual Reading
5. Cycle Number: This will tell you which billing cycle you're on and will determine the dates that are used to read your meter and complete your billing for each month. There are 20 billing cycles in each month.
6. Balances Calculation: Shows previous statement balance and reflects any payments or adjustments made since the previous statement was issued.
8. Consumption Chart: Overview of the energy consumed for the past 12 months. Solid bars in the graph reflect when an acutal meter read was collected and outlined bars reflect an estimated meter read.
9. Total Amount Due: This is the balance outstanding on your account from your last bill plus new charges.
10. Payment Return Slip: This slip gives your account number, bill due date and total amount due. If you receive a paper bill and either mail your payment or pay in person at your financial institution, include the return slip. For more information on how you can pay your bill, visit ways to pay your bill.
11. Contact Information: We’re here to help if you have questions about your bill. Call us at 867-633-7000 or visit www.atcoelectricyukon.com
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7. Current Charges: This shows all the various charges that make up your energy bill.
- Customer Charge - This is a fixed charge for residential customers to cover a portion of the costs of electric facilities, such as power lines, generating plants, substations and metering (whether or not you use any electricity). As of December 1, 2024, this charge will also include a portion of the AEY’s (ATCO Electric Yukon) Rate Adjustment Rider and the YEC’s Revenue Shortfall Rider, which collects/refunds the difference between AEY’s and YEC’s base rates and revenue requirement, as approved by the Yukon Utilities Board.
- Energy Charge - This is the basic per kilowatt hour cost of the electricity used during the period covered by this bill. As of December 1, 2024, this charge will also include a portion of the AEY and YEC Rate Adjustment Riders.
- AEY (ATCO Electric Yukon) Temporary Rate Adjustment – This is a temporary rider which collects/refunds the difference between AEY’s interim and final approved rates as approved by the Yukon Utilities Board.
- YEC (Yukon Energy Corporation) Temporary True Up - This is a temporary rider which collects/refunds the difference between YEC’s interim and final approved rates as approved by the Yukon Utilities Board.
- Fuel Adjustment Rider - This adjustment represents the difference between the actual costs of the fuel used to generate electricity compared to the forecast costs. It may appear as a charge or a refund as approved by the Yukon Utilities Board.
- YEC LWRF Rider – This collects/refunds YEC’s thermal generation cost differences from forecast due to changes in water availability
- Rider S – Purchase Power Adjustment Rider - Rider S addresses differences in wholesale power costs related to hydro availability as approved by the Yukon Utilities Board.
- Yukon Interim Electrical Rebate - This Yukon Territorial Government program provides a credit on up to the first 1000 kwh of electricity used at residential sites each month to reduce your overall bill.
- GST – Government of Canada Goods and Services Tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who regulates ATCO Electric Yukon's rates?
We are regulated by the Yukon Utilities Board, which means are rates are reviewed, scrutinized, and approved through a quasi-judicial process.
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What is a rate rider?
Rate riders are temporary charges or credits set by the Yukon Utilities Board. They help account for changes between interim and final rates. Riders exist for various reasons and periods of time. We list all current riders on our website.
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How is the Base Rate Component changing?
Beginning December 2024, the customers’ Base Rate Components will now include the AEY Rate Adjustment Rider and the Yukon Energy Revenue Shortfall Rider.
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Why have the Utilities made this change to the Base Rate Component??
The Utilities (ATCO Electric Yukon and Yukon Energy) were directed to make this change to customers’ bills in Board Order 2023-08. The Board directed the Utilities to reduce line items on the bill to address potential customer confusion and simplify electricity billing statements.
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Are Riders J and R still in effect?
Yes, Rider J and Rider R would still be tracked separately on their own general ledger accounts and automatic transfers between the Utilities would continue. The only change is that Riders will no longer appear on customer bills but are now included in the customers’ Base Rate Components.
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What about Riders J1 and R1?
Rider J1 (Yukon Energy Corporation True-Up) and Rider R1 (AEY Rate Relief Rider) will remain listed on the billing statement and will not be included in the Base Rate Components.
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How do I read and understand my bill effectively?
Every month, we send our Residential and General Service customers a statement of their account. The back of each statement provides additional information for many elements listed on your bill.
If you have more specific questions about your statement or any billing concerns, please contact a customer service advisor at 867-633-7000 or 1-800-661-0513.
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Why is my bill so high?
If your electricity bill is higher than expected, there may be a few reasons why this is. Here are a few examples of what can impact your bill:
- Temperatures: Colder and warmer temperatures can mean higher bills since it takes more electricity to heat or cool your home or building. That's why you may see higher bills in April and September - these months typically follow periods of peak winter and summer temperature.
- Number of Days on Billing Statment: If your bill seems high, compare the number of billing days on your statement to the previous month. When there are holidays, sometimes consumption days are dispersed differently between statements.
- Meter Reads: Sometimes we need to estimate meter reads if we cannot safely access your meter. If the estimate is too high, it will be trued up on the following statement.
- Additional appliances: Increased electricity use can also happen if you’ve added portable heaters, air conditioners or other appliances like TVs to your home or business.
- Poor insulation: Older homes or buildings are usually less able to keep the heat in. Poor insulation in basements and crawl spaces, or improper window and door seals, can make it costly to heat. Find out about more energy saving tips!
- Guests: Guests staying over or more people living in your home can lead to the increased use of electricity since more people equals more hot water to take showers or do laundry.
We’re here to help
Did you know we work with our customers to help solve high bill problems year-round, not just in the winter months? If your bill is higher than expected, we’ll work with you to find a solution that may include payment arrangements. For example, we offer an Budget Payment Plan if you want to pay a fixed monthly payment and avoid those seasonal highs and lows.
Call to speak to one our Customer Service Advisors at 867-633-7000. Our hours of operation are:
- Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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How long is my billing cycle?
A typical billing cycle is between 27-30 days, however there are times when the cycles exceed 27-30 days (e.g., January bills typically include charges for 32-35 days of consumption). Billing statements always indicate how many consumption days are included.
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Why have I seen an increase in my consumption?
Over the past several years, we've seen a significant increase of more people at home using power. There are more electronics and appliances in our homes that consume power without you knowing.
Try these effective ways to lower your bill:
- Set your thermostat to efficiently warm and cool your home
- Take shorter showers
- Wash clothes in warm or cold water
- Adjust the temperature on your water heater
- Purchase energy-efficient appliances
- Switch to LED lighting
- Install dimmer switches
- Unplug appliances that aren’t in use