Electric Rates for Wisconsin Farms
- Who is This Rate For?
- How Reliable is the Service This Rate Provides?
- What Charges Are Involved?
- How Are My Charges Calculated?
Who is This Rate For?
Our Electric Rate for Farm Service is designed to serve your farm if:
- you use no more than 100 kilowatts of electricity for three consecutive months, and
- you use that amount at least once in each succeeding 12-month period.
For rate purposes, "farm" includes customers using electricity to produce agricultural products. Sometimes electricity is used jointly for home and agricultural purposes. In these cases, a customer is considered a farm customer if the electricity used for agricultural production equals 5 kilowatts or more. Agricultural production includes, for example:
- dairy farming
- raising livestock, poultry, fur-bearing animals or wildlife
- growing fruit, field crops or plants in nurseries or greenhouses
If you have questions about whether your operation qualifies for the Electric Rate for Farm Service, please contact us.
How Reliable is the Service This Rate Provides?
The Electric Rate for Farm Service provides a firm supply of electricity to your operation. 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 Farm 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 doesn't 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 farm, as well as the costs of providing customer service. 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 energy assistance programs. 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.
How Are My Charges Calculated?
| Less Than 12,500 kWh Used Per Month | Type of Customer | Customer Charge | Energy Charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-phase service | Year-round (12-month) |
$8.50 per month | $0.11580 per kWh |
| Seasonal* (6-month) |
$17.00 per month | $0.11580 per kWh | |
| Three-phase service (typically for use of larger-sized motors) | Year-round (12-month) |
$11.50 per month | $0.11580 per kWh |
| Seasonal* (6-month) |
$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 (typically for use of larger-sized motors) | 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.
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.
See the Wisconsin Rate Book for more information.