Mystery of reading a Gas and electricity bill….. Solved!
Do you find reading your gas and electric bill confusing? Well guess what you’re not alone.
According to YouGov who carried out research on behalf of uSwitch found 75% of people
find energy bills confusing, and only 4 in 10 could understand the calculations on their bill.
So what does your bill mean? Let’s find out……
Below is a sample bill, all the key points you need to be aware of have been numbered with
an explanation below.
So here goes…
(uswitch 2014)
1. Supplier's contact details.i.e British Gas, E’on, Npower
2. You'll usually find your customer reference number or account number on the front of
your gas and electricity bills. You'll need to quote this reference number each time you
contact your supplier.
3. This is the date your bill was issued
4. The section states the period which you are being billed for by your supplier.
5. This is the date and amount of the last payment you made to your energy supplier .
6. This bill period's energy costs before VAT is added.
7. This section states how much VAT is being charged, VAT is 5% standard for gas and
electricity.
8. “Please pay” is the final total that you will need to pay your energy supplier.
9. Any additional information that your supplier wants to show you will often appear on the
front of the gas and electricity bills. This could be about opting into paperless billing or any
special offers the company is offering. – So it might be worth having a look to see what’s on
offer.
10. Your electricity supply number (sometimes called MPAN) will appear in this box format.
This number is assigned to the electricity meter at your property to identify it
(uswitch 2014)
11. This is your meter point reference number (MPRN), which is assigned to the gas meter
at your property and should be 6-8 digits long. You will need this number to switch your gas
plan .
12. Your current plan name should be on your bill. If it isn't, you can contact your supplier
to find out what it is. There are so many different tariffs so it’s best to know which tariff you
are on.
13. This section is a detailed breakdown of your energy usage, including the kilowatt hours
(kWh) used, the cost per kilowatt hour and your latest meter readings. You can also find
out here if your meter readings are estimated or actual and the dates your readings were
taken or estimated. Here you will be able to get a clear picture on how much energy you are
using and whether you need to contact your supplier if you think you’ve been charged too
much.
14. You'll be given a contact number for any specific requirements (e.g., large-print or
Braille bills).
15. A payment slip will be provided if you pay your electricity or gas bills by cash or cheque.
Please note there are alternative methods to pay your bill. I.e. direct debit, online, over the
phone.
Is your bill an Estimated or an Actual reading? What’s the difference?
Have you noticed a capital “A” or an “E” on your bill and not sure what it means? Well
you’re just about to find out.
“A” is abbreviated for Actual, this means you bill has been calculated by taking a meter
reading making it more accurate.
Whereas an “E” is abbreviated for an estimated bill, this means your energy supplier has
assumed your usage for the period in question, based on your energy usage patterns in the
past and have billed you accordingly. Therefore your bill may be higher compared to if the
supplier was provided with an actual reading
For more information check out
http://www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/bills/
http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/