What is a fixed charge? Similar to fixed costs you see on your cell phone or internet bill, a fixed charge, also referred to as a “basic service charge,” is a monthly fee that utility customers are required to pay no matter how much energy they actually use. Typically, utility bills are based on actual electricity and gas usage, perhaps with a modest fixed charge, but recently utilities have been proposing very large fixed charges on top of their already-approved charges and per-usage rates.