The Numbers That Actually Matter
At the top of your bill, you'll find the basics:
| Spanish | What it means |
|---|---|
Nombre | Name on the electricity account |
Domicilio | Address receiving electricity |
No. de servicio | Your electricity account number |
RMU | Another number CFE uses to identify your service |
No. medidor | Your electricity meter number |
Check the address. Especially if you're renting, buying, or managing several units. You don't want to discover you've been paying the electricity bill for the casita next door.
Basic, Intermediate and Excess — Oh My!
Your electricity meter counts how much electricity your house uses, like a counter that keeps going up. On your bill, look for:
- Lectura anterior — What the meter showed last time.
- Lectura actual — What the meter shows now.
- Consumo — How much electricity you used.
Here's an easy example: last time your meter showed 1,000, and now it shows 1,600. That's 600 units of electricity used (assuming a meter multiplier of 1).
CFE calls these units kilowatt-hours, or kWh. Your refrigerator, air conditioner, fans, and pool pump all use them. More kWh means a bigger bill.
You'll also see a word called Tarifa. That's the set of electricity prices and rules CFE uses for your house. You might see 1, 1B, 1C, 1F, or DAC. You don't normally choose it — CFE assigns your residential tariff according to the official classification for your locality and your electricity consumption.
In the electricity charges section, you may see three words:
- Básico — Your lower-priced electricity.
- Intermedio — Additional electricity charged at a higher price.
- Excedente — Even more electricity charged at a higher price.
They show how CFE has divided your electricity use into different price groups. Not every bill will show all three.
The Dreaded Three Letters: DAC
If your bill says DAC, pay attention. DAC means Doméstica de Alto Consumo, or high household electricity use. It means your home is being charged under a special high-consumption tariff without the normal residential government discount.
DAC is triggered by a rolling average of your electricity consumption. So one heavy billing period might not push you into DAC, but sustained high use can. That's why watching your kWh matters more than watching the price.
What Are All These Extra Charges?
Now we get to the part that looks like CFE is doing some very creative math. Here's what those words mean:
| Spanish on your bill | What it means |
|---|---|
Energía | What you're charged for electricity |
IVA | Tax |
DAP | Public street lighting charge, if applicable |
Facturación del periodo | Charges for this billing period |
Adeudo anterior | The amount carried forward from the previous bill |
Su pago | A payment CFE has recorded |
Apoyo gubernamental | Government help with eligible electricity costs |
Total a pagar | What you actually owe |
Important: Adeudo anterior doesn't automatically mean you missed a payment. Check the payment recorded alongside it to see what remains owing.
You might also see words like Suministro, Distribución, Transmisión, and CENACE. Don't panic. These explain some of the costs involved in producing and delivering electricity to your home. They're generally an informational breakdown, not a second bill you need to add up and pay.
The number you want is Total a pagar. That's what CFE says you owe.
Look for three things: Total a pagar (how many pesos you owe), Límite de pago (the deadline to pay), and Corte a partir (the earliest date CFE indicates your electricity may be disconnected if you haven't paid). That last one is worth checking — discovering you've missed your electricity deadline when your AC stops working isn't exactly a Tulum highlight.
Something Not Adding Up?
Your CFE bill may include a graph showing how much electricity you've used in previous billing periods. Don't ignore it. It's one of the most useful parts of your bill.
If your previous bill showed 400 kWh and your new one shows 800 kWh, your electricity usage has doubled. Something changed. Maybe you used the AC more, the pool pump ran longer, or you have more people in the house. Or perhaps something is using electricity that you don't know about.
If the readings or charges don't seem correct, contact CFE at 071 for help.
Your 30-Second CFE Bill Check
Before filing that bill away and pretending electricity is someone else's problem, give it a quick once-over.