Electric Rates for Wisconsin Businesses
- Who Are These Rates For?
- How Reliable Is the Service These Rates Provide?
- What Charges Are Involved?
- How Are My Charges Calculated?
Who Are These Rates For?
Our Electric Rates for Small Commercial and Industrial Service are designed to serve your business if you use less than 100 kilowatts or 25,000 kilowatt-hours per month.
Depending on where you do business, your electric service is designated as Urban or Rural. This designation is shown on your WPS bill:
- COML URBAN ELEC means Commercial Urban Electric Service.
- COML RURAL ELEC means Commercial Rural Electric Service.
How Reliable Is the Service These Rates Provides?
Small Commercial and Industrial Electric Service provides a firm supply of electricity to your business. This means electricity is available continuously, whenever it's needed. The only exception — as with any electric service — is when unexpected events occur (such as a severe storm or a vehicle hitting a power pole) that make it impossible to deliver power. When WPS learns of any outage, we immediately begin efforts to restore power.
What Charges Are Involved?
Each month, your bill for Small Commercial and Industrial Electric Service includes the following charges:
- Energy Charge - for the amount of electricity you use. Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (abbreviated KWH).
- Customer Charge - a fixed charge that does not vary with the amount of electricity you use. The Customer Charge covers the cost of providing safe, reliable electric service. For example, it includes the cost of WPS owning, maintaining and operating equipment that generates and delivers electricity to your business, as well as the costs of providing customer service. The Customer Charge is slightly higher in rural areas because in these areas, WPS needs longer power lines to provide service to fewer customers. The Customer Charge is the minimum amount you will be billed each month.
- Wisconsin Low-Income Assistance Fee - a fee collected to support low-income assistance energy program. Wisconsin Legislature requires electric utilities to collect these fees, and then transfer the funds to the Wisconsin Department of Administration to assist low-income customers. For more information, please refer to a more detailed description of the Wisconsin Low-Income Assistance Fee.
Several factors can influence your monthly electricity use. Major factors that can be measured by WPS are summarized in the lower left-hand corner of your monthly bill.
How Are My Charges Calculated?
Your business is most likely billed based on energy consumption only. Customers of WPS are billed based on energy only if their:
- total electric demand is 100 kilowatts or less, or
- total electricity used is 25,000 kilowatt-hours or less
- for three consecutive months and at least one month in each succeeding 12-month period.
If you are billed based on energy only, the meter at your facility measures the kilowatt-hours (KWH) of electricity you use each month. The table below shows the Customer Charges and Energy Charges you see on your bill.
If your business does not meet the criteria above for energy-only billing, more information about your rate can be found in our rate book, which explains all of the rates offered by WPS. If you have questions about your rate, please contact us for more information.
| Less Than 12,500 KWH Used Per Month | Type of Customer | Commercial Urban Electric Customer Charge | Commercial Urban Energy Charge | Commercial Rural Electric Customer Charge | Commercial Rural Energy Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-phase service | Year-round (12-month) |
$7.25 per month | $0.11534 per kWh | $8.50 per month | $0.11580 per kWh |
| Seasonal* (6-month) |
$14.50 per month | $0.11534 per kWh | $17.00 per month | $0.11580 per kWh | |
| Three-phase service (more likely to be used by manufacturing and industry) | Year-round (12-month) |
$10.25 per month | $0.11534 per kWh | $11.50 per month | $0.11580 per kWh |
| Seasonal* (6-month) |
$20.50 per month | $0.11534 per kWh | $23.00 per month | $0.11580 per kWh |
| More Than 12,500 KWH Used Per Month | Type of Customer | Customer Charge | Energy Charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-phase service | Year-round (12-month) |
$15.00 per month | $0.10002 per kWh |
| Seasonal* (6-month) |
$30.00 per month | $0.10002 per kWh | |
| Three-phase service (more likely to be used by manufacturing and industry) | Year-round (12-month) |
$19.00 per month | $0.10002 per kWh |
| Seasonal* (6-month) |
$38.00 per month | $0.10002 per kWh |
* If your seasonal facility is used during the summer months, you'll be billed for electric service May through October. If your seasonal facility is used during the winter months, you'll be billed for electric service November through April. Your electric service may remain connected all year. Any incidental electric use during the "off-season" will be included on your first bill of the following season. If your electric use is more than 500 kilowatt-hours during the off-season, WPS will send you a bill during the off-season.
See the Wisconsin Rate Book for more information.