Since February 2026, the Mexican state-owned energy company CFE began to apply a mandatory minimum payment for electricity services for residential consumers, which is charged even if actual consumption is zero. We are not talking about a new tax or a fine for lack of electricity use, but about the so-called “payment for service availability.” This is a fixed amount that should cover the cost of maintaining the infrastructure.
The minimum payment is calculated as the equivalent of 25 kWh consumption per month. In monetary terms, for most regions of the country this equates to approximately 27 to 30 Mexican pesos at a base tariff of 1.11 pesos per kWh plus taxes, although the total amount depends on the current tariff and the regional distribution area. To summarize, even if the home is closed, used as a seasonal home, or temporarily unoccupied, the bill will be issued under all circumstances as the network continues to reserve power and ensure connection availability.
The minimum payment applies to all household tariffs, including the most common tariff 1 (T1). For a high consumption DAC (Doméstico de Alto Consumo) tariff, where there is already a fixed charge component, the minimum payment is effectively added to the existing charge structure.
The innovation has already caused criticism from consumers, especially in places with unstable power supplies. Residents there regularly face outages and believe that a flat fee is being introduced without a comparable improvement in the quality of service. However, the payment is fixed in the tariff structure and is reflected in invoices automatically. It is impossible to refuse it without officially disconnecting the object from the network.
The economic impact for most households will be moderate, since the amount is relatively small, however, for properties with very low or seasonal consumption, the very prospect of a “zero bill” disappears. Now even a completely unused property will have a basic energy cost.