PG&E tariff — slab structure and rate components
PG&E electricity tariff is approved by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is published in FERC's tariff orders. This page explains the structure — slabs, fixed charge, fuel pass-through, and statutory levies — and points you to the authoritative source for current per-unit rates.
Tariff structure — how ${provider.name} bills are calculated
PG&E bills are calculated by applying the regulator-notified per-unit rate to your units consumed, then adding fixed charges, fuel pass-through, and statutory levies. The order of operations matters because some lines are percentages of others.
Residential tariff in United States is typically slabbed — a graduated rate where the first block of units is priced lower than the next. The exact slab boundaries are notified by FERC in periodic tariff orders. For PG&E, the current slab table is published at https://www.ferc.gov/.
Commercial and industrial tariffs are typically non-telescopic, meaning all units in a cycle are priced at the slab the monthly total lands in. Be aware of this when crossing slab thresholds for a small business.
Fixed charge
The fixed charge is a flat monthly amount tied to your sanctioned load. Paid regardless of consumption. It funds the meter, the service-line maintenance, and the operator's customer-service infrastructure.
Reducing your sanctioned load (where appropriate) lowers the fixed charge. If you are paying for a 5 kW sanctioned load but actually use 2 kW, apply for a load reduction at PG&E's customer service — the fixed charge drops proportionally.
Fuel pass-through
Most United States electricity tariffs include a monthly fuel pass-through line (called FPA, FAC, or similar) that compensates for the difference between forecast and actual fuel costs.
The pass-through is approved by FERC on a regular schedule (monthly or quarterly). The figure on your bill is the pass-through for a past period, not the current consumption month. Pass-through can be positive or negative.
Pass-through is the single most volatile line on most electricity bills. A spike in fuel costs in one quarter can move the total bill by 10-25% in either direction in the following quarter without any change in your consumption.
Statutory levies — taxes, duties, and surcharges
United States bills include national and provincial taxes layered on top of the energy charge. The exact composition varies, but typically includes a general sales tax (VAT/GST), an electricity duty (provincial or state), and one or more financing surcharges that fund the country's power sector debt.
Statutory levies are percentages applied to base amounts; understanding the base of each percentage is key to predicting how a change in consumption translates into a change in the total bill. The bill explicitly shows the rate of each levy and the base it is calculated on.
Some statutory levies have an opt-out for compliant taxpayers (e.g., income tax withholding for tax-return filers). If United States offers such an opt-out, check with the relevant tax authority for the application steps.
Verifying your bill against the published tariff
On every PG&E bill you can cross-check the math against the regulator's published tariff in three steps. First, multiply your units consumed by the slab-applicable per-unit rate to verify the energy charge. Second, add the fixed charge for your load category. Third, add the pass-through line (if any) and apply the statutory levies as percentages.
If the bill does not match the formula, the most common causes are: a slab boundary you didn't notice, a tariff revision that took effect mid-cycle (the bill prorates between the old and new rate), or an arrears line from a previous unpaid bill.
If after checking all three you still cannot reconcile the bill to the formula, file a complaint at PG&E customer service (1-800-743-5000). The operator's customer service can pull up your consumption data and walk through the calculation with you.