2025 Essential Annual Report

ESSENTIAL UTILITIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (continued) (In thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)

Note 5 – Accounts Receivable

December 31,

2025

2024

Billed utility revenue

$

257,735 $

211,168 14,295 225,463 58,941 166,522

Other

21,150 278,885 61,694

Less allowance for doubtful accounts

Net accounts receivable

$

217,191 $

As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s utility customers are located principally in the following states: 66% in Pennsylvania, 9% in Ohio, 6% in North Carolina, 5% in Texas, and 5% in Illinois. No single customer accounted for more than one percent of the Company's utility operating revenues during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023. The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts:

2025

2024

2023

Balance at January 1,

$

58,941 $

60,573 $

63,981 23,209

Amounts charged to expense

22,227

21,865

Accounts written off

(25,502)

(24,190)

(27,759)

Recoveries of accounts written off and other

6,028

693

1,142

Balance at December 31,

$

61,694 $

58,941 $

60,573

Note 6 – Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

Regulatory assets represent costs that are probable to be fully recovered from customers in future rates while regulatory liabilities represent amounts that are expected to be refunded to customers in future rates or amounts recovered from customers in advance of incurring the costs. Except for income taxes, utility plant retirement costs and water tank painting costs, regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities are excluded from the Company’s rate base and do not earn a return. The components of regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities are as follows:

December 31, 2025

December 31, 2024

Regulatory Regulatory

Regulatory Regulatory

Assets

Liabilities

Assets

Liabilities

Income taxes

$ 1,897,167 $ 450,713

$ 1,712,714 $ 528,656

Purchased gas costs

18,253 39,928 66,302

-

21,366 29,146 80,875

413

Utility plant retirement costs Post-retirement benefits

81,918 158,627

75,270 160,851

Accrued vacation Water tank painting

451

- - - -

418

- - - -

12,357 23,234 10,595 41,161

11,242 30,603 11,587 42,689

Fair value adjustment of long-term debt assumed in acquisition

Debt refinancing

Rate case filing expenses and other

23,229

1,325

$ 2,109,448 $ 714,487

$ 1,940,640 $ 766,515

Items giving rise to deferred state income taxes, as well as a portion of deferred Federal income taxes related to specific differences between tax and book depreciation expense, are recognized in the rate setting process on a cash basis or as a reduction in current income tax expense and will be recovered as they reverse. Amounts include differences that arise between specific utility asset improvement costs capitalized for book and deducted as an expense for tax purposes. Additionally, the recording of AFUDC for equity funds results in the recognition of a regulatory asset for income taxes, which represents amounts due related to the revenue requirement. The Company records regulatory assets when a valuation allowance is recorded on deferred tax assets, associated with state NOLs

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