Industry Billing & Assessments

How companies are invoiced

The IUC invoices companies for two types of assessments:

• Industry direct assessments, which reflect IUC or Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) staff time directly related to a docket or project for a specific company.
• Remainder assessments, which are costs for staff time that is related to work within an industry type but not billable to a specific docket.

Iowa Code § 476.10 authorizes the IUC to invoice and collect remainder and industry direct assessments based on each company's net assessable revenues as reported in its most recent Annual Report filing. The net assessable revenues used to compute the fiscal year remainder assessments are listed on an invoice sent to each utility. Direct assessments are invoiced quarterly and remainder assessments are invoiced annually.

IUC Billing Events

*anticipated dates

Billing factors

To determine the billable amount for invoices, the IUC uses a billing rate that is evaluated each year. The billing rate is the hourly rate determined by staff's job classification and is designed to recover IUC’s total budgeted expenses less receipts from other sources (such as federal support, intrastate receipts, fees, licenses or permits). IUC and OCA staff track their time on an hourly basis for dockets and other projects, and the billing rate is calculated using actual salary and benefit data. Overhead costs are calculated and included in the billing rate.

The billing rate is set using a base rate times a factor. IUC FY25 remainder/industry direct assessment rates by industry type are:

Rate-Regulated Companies

• Electric Utilities — $0.0010187099 or $1.02 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue
• Gas Utilities — $0.0013907834 or $1.39 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue
• Water Utilities — $0.0013651765 or $1.37 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue
• Telecom Service Providers — $0.0039758393 or $3.98 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue

Non-Rate-Regulated Companies

• Electric Utilities — $0.0005093549 or $0.51 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue
• Gas Utilities — $0.0006953917 or $0.70 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue
• Telecom Service Providers — $0.0019879197 or $1.99 Per $1,000 of Assessable Revenue

Base Rate = Average Salary ÷ 1,700 Hours
Factor = FY Legislative Authorization amount as determined by Administration and Regulation Bill ÷ total direct billed salaries

To better understand calculations used, review our FY26 Billing Rates presentation.

Payment options

Companies may pay assessment invoices electronically or by check. To pay the invoice via credit card, debit card, or ACH debit, the company must first verify it does not have a debit block on its bank account, then contact its financial institution to allow the IUC's ACH company ID numbers (426004579Q and 426004579R) to bypass the block and debit the account.

Electronic payment may be made using the State of Iowa GovConnectIowa site. 

To pay by check, please include a copy of the invoice and mail to:

Iowa Utilities Commission
ATTN: Accounting & Assessments
1375 E. Court Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50319-0069

Companies may file an objection to invoices or assessments by following IUC rules found at 199 Iowa Administrative Code 17.10.

For information or assistance, contact the IUC at 515-725-7300 or iub.billings@iub.iowa.gov.