Take control using tools and advice from DTE Energy

Many factors can affect your electric bill, including weather, and your energy habits. Our residential electric customers, on average, pay $100 a month.

We can help you take control of your energy bill through energy efficiency tips and programs that can help you use less energy or manage your monthly energy bill and payments. DTE Energy also offers electric service rates that meet your unique energy needs.

2013 Electric Service Rate Options

We offer a number of different electric rates. Use the Rate Selector to learn which rate options may benefit you.

If you need help determining which rate is right for you, please call us at 800.477.4747 to speak with one of our representatives.

Kilowhat?

DTE electric customers are billed according to how many kilowatt hours (kWh) they use. One kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the electricity needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 10 hours.

What do the charges on your DTE Energy bill mean

Rates for residential and business customers who purchase their electricity from DTE have two main components:

1. Power Supply Charges - The Power Supply Energy Charge represents the cost to generate the electricity you use, including the cost of fuel and the costs related to owning, operating and maintaining power plants. Certain related surcharges, as permitted by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), may also be included here. For instance…
   • Power Supply Cost Recovery (PSCR). This is a small surcharge or credit to reflect changes in the cost of fuel and purchased power since the rates were set.
   • Renewable Energy Plan Surcharge (REPS). This is a charge to recover the cost of incorporating renewable sources in DTE's generation mix as specified in Public Act 295 of 2008.  
2. Delivery Charges -The Distribution charge represents the costs to deliver electricity to your home or business across DTE's power system, including maintenance of that system. Certain related surcharges, as permitted by the MPSC, may also be included here.
   • Service Charge. A fixed charge that assists DTE in recovering basic administrative costs such as billing, customer service, meter reading, etc.
   • Nuclear Decommissioning Surcharge.  Contributes to a trust fund established to finance the decommissioning of the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant when its operating license expires.
   • Securitization Bond & Tax Charge. This surcharge, which is subject to an annual true-up, reflects the payment of principal and interest as well as recovery of certain servicing and administrative costs associated with Securitization Bonds relating to certain assets at the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant.  Issuance of the bonds resulted in lower overall rates for DTE electric customers.
   • Energy Optimization Surcharge (EOS).  This surcharge funds energy efficiency programs for DTE electric customers. 

Electric rate and surcharge increases or decreases are only by order of the Michigan Public Service Commission.  Learn more about how rates are set.

Factors that impact electricity prices

The price you pay for electricity reflects the cost to build, finance, maintain manage and operate the power plants that produce the energy you use and the distribution grid (the overhead and underground power lines, substations, poles, etc.) that deliver the energy to your home or business.  

Some key factors that impact the price of electricity include:

• Energy sources - To generate electricity, another energy source must be consumed.  At the present time, DTE uses low-sulfur coal and nuclear power to generate most of the electricity our customers use, but we are also adding renewable sources, such as wind and biomass to our fuel mix. As the cost of coal, gas and oil change, so does our cost to produce electricity.  
• Power Plants - We operate nine power plants to serve the needs of Michigan homes, businesses and industries.  Those plants must be maintained to ensure efficient and reliable operations.  Their environmental controls must also meet state and federal requirements.
• Transmission and distribution lines - Our lines serve 2.2 million customers spread across 7,600 square miles of service area.  We work year-round to maintain, repair and improve our electrical system to minimize outages and ensure reliable electric service.
• Weather conditions - Nationwide, weather-related problems (storms, winds, tree damage) are the chief cause of disruptive power outages and repair expenses.
• The time of day and duration of customers' energy use - The costs for both generation and delivery of electricity go up in periods of very high usage, especially if that high usage occurs only a small proportion of the year.  
• DTE electric customers on interruptible load programs provide value to all retail customers with savings of, as much as, $20 million annually, in recent years.  If and when these customers are interrupted, they can also provide system reliability and environmental benefits including reduced emissions

Take control of your energy costs

We want to help you take control of your energy use and reduce your costs.  That journey starts with making energy choices that are right for today's economy and for your household budget. We encourage you to use the interactive MyEnergy Analyzer tool to learn more about your household energy use and how it compares to other households like yours. Find more advice on controlling your energy use on the Save Energy Web pages.

We also offer convenient, flexible payment options.  Some of these options can be combined to make it even easier to manage your account.  Low income and special needs customers may also qualify for payment assistance.  For more information, use the navigation links at the left of this Web page.

We appreciate your business.  At DTE, we believe that serving customers is a privilege -- one we strive to earn every day by providing reliable, affordable electric service.  If you have a question about your account we encourage you to contact us.

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