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How to read your CFE electric bill

Updated October 24, 2026

CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad) is the state utility that supplies electricity to homes in Mexico, and its bill — the recibo de luz — comes in Spanish. It has everything you need to know how much you use, which rate you're on and why you pay what you pay. Here's what matters.

Quick glossary

On your billWhat it means
TarifaYour rate: 1, 1A … 1F or DAC
PeriodoThe billing period (usually two months)
Lectura anterior / actualPrevious / current meter reading
Consumo (kWh)Your usage for the period
Básico · Intermedio · ExcedenteThe price tiers, from cheapest to most expensive
IVAValue-added tax (16 %)
DAPDerecho de Alumbrado Público: municipal street-lighting fee
Total a pagarTotal amount due

Your rate (Tarifa)

It appears as “Tarifa” followed by a code: 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F or DAC. It's the most important number for any calculation, because it sets how many kWh you get at a low price and from how much usage you can be moved to the DAC rate.

Period and meter readings

Most homes get a two-month bill. It shows the previous reading and current reading of your meter: the difference is your usage for the period in kWh (kilowatt-hours). One kWh is, for example, a 1,000 W appliance running for one hour.

The tiers

Your usage is split into tiers: básico, intermedio (on some rates low and high) and excedente, each with its own price per kWh. If you see kWh in the excedente tier, those are the most expensive: that's the first thing worth cutting. Prices for each tier are in our CFE rates guide.

VAT and street lighting

IVA (VAT) of 16 % is added to the energy (in the northern border zone with a tax incentive it can be lower). Many bills also include the DAP (Derecho de Alumbrado Público): it isn't CFE's — your municipality charges it through the bill, and it varies from one municipality to another. That's why two homes with the same usage can pay different amounts.

Usage history

The bill usually shows a chart or table with your usage in previous periods. It's useful for two things: seeing whether you use much more in summer, and working out your average, which is what CFE uses to decide whether to move you to DAC and what you should use to size solar panels.

What you need for the calculators

  1. Your rate (1, 1A … 1F or DAC).
  2. The period's kWh, or the amount you pay.
  3. Whether your bill is monthly or every two months.
  4. If you can, the usage history: the result is more accurate.

With those numbers, see how much you'd save with solar panels.

Use my bill

Frequently asked questions

How do I know how many kWh I use?

On your CFE bill, subtract the previous meter reading (lectura anterior) from the current one (lectura actual). The bill already shows the result as the period's usage (consumo), in kWh.

Is the CFE bill monthly or every two months?

Most homes get it every two months (bimestral). The period it covers is printed on the bill.

What is DAP on a CFE bill?

It's the Derecho de Alumbrado Público, a street-lighting fee. Your municipality charges it through the CFE bill, and the amount varies from one municipality to another.

Why did my bill go up if I use the same?

It may be summer (some rates change their tiers), your 12-month average may have gone over the limit and moved you to the DAC rate, or CFE's monthly rate adjustments.

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