Reading your gas and electricity bills

If you put your energy bills straight in the bin, you may not be aware of how much your fuel is really costing. You need to ensure you are on the right tariff for your needs, not paying for more fuel than you actually use and using the right payment method for you. This page gives you everything you need to find out if you are getting the best deal.

Normally, you should get a bill once a quarter. This is up to your supplier, but it’s reasonable to expect it or chase it if it’s not on time. If you have a prepayment meter, you can expect to get a statement of your energy use once a year. If you have online billing, you can access your account details at any time.

You should check that all your personal details are correct and that you have a uniquely identifying reference number. Your bill should give:

• your current meter reading (most likely, this will be an estimated reading)

• your last meter reading

• the amount of electricity or gas you have used

• the period this covers

• the VAT charges

• the unit costs

It should state any discounts you have received and detail your payment options. It should also include details of how to make a complaint to energywatch and what to do in an emergency.

If your bill has been based on an estimated energy use, you will most likely see a bold ‘E’ next to the meter readings on your bill. Your energy company is only obliged to attempt a meter reading once every two years. If your bill has an ‘A’ next to the reading, this is an actual figure. For a list of other reading types, see below.

Your gas and electricity supplier usually estimates your monthly energy consumption based on past usage or a standard use. You will pay for this estimated consumption each quarter or month (depending on whether you have chosen monthly or quarterly billing). You will then find out how much you have actually used if and when your supplier takes an actual reading. At this point, you may be asked to pay more, if your consumption has been greater than estimated, or compensated for any shortfall in your actual use.

energywatch recommends that you ring in your actual meter readings when you get your bill to make sure you receive accurate bills. This will ensure you don’t get any nasty surprises after a meter reading, or deliver the savings you make if you reduce your energy use. If your consumption is greater than your estimated energy use, your supplier can backdate energy claims for up to six years, but they are under no obligation to compensate you for charging a greater amount. It’s well worth taking the trouble to read your meter every time you receive a bill.

(E)

this means your supplier has estimated the reading

(A)

this means your supplier has used an actual meter reading obtained by a meter reader

(C)

this means your supplier has used the reading that you provided (OR, occasionally, this can mean a ‘company estimated read’

(R)

this means the reading is the final one from a meter that has now been removed

(N)

this means the reading is the first one from a new meter

(F)

Final meter reading when leaving a property, discontinuing a supply or switching supplier

Did you know it’s cheaper to pay your fuel bills by monthly Direct Debit, than to pay by cash or cheque on a quarterly basis? You can pay your gas or electricity bill by cash, cheque, Direct Debit, standing order, prepayment meter, credit or debit card, online or by payment cards at regular intervals.

As well as paying your supplier directly online on your supplier’s website, by post or over the phone, you can usually pay at your bank or building society, at a Post Office or at a PayPoint or Payzone outlet.

Your supplier will usually have their own schemes which may allow you to pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly or at other periods. You will need to contact your supplier to find out what they can do to help. You should check carefully the terms of the scheme, for example, how the payments are worked out and what happens if you build up a credit or are behind with your payments.

If you have any further queries or would like to make a complaint against your supplier visit the energywatch website http://www.energywatch.org.uk/index.asp.