If you want a cheap gas bill or a cheap electricity
bill, it helps to gain a greater understanding
of what you are being charged for.
Many customers complain that
they don’t understand how their utility
bills work and therefore don’t know exactly
what their costs are and what they can do to
change them. That is why we have taken a typical
utility bill, below, and attempted to explain
each term through our numbered links as part
of our energy bill guide.
Your
Gas and Electricity Bills Explained
There are two images showing the front and back
of a typical bill. Use our guide below to learn
more about your gas bill or electricity bill.
1. Account number: Used to identify
your bill details.
2. Bill breakdown: Summarises your
gas bill and/or electricity bill with charges, discounts
and VAT included.
3. Total payment due: The bottom line
payment that you owe for that period.
4. Date and package information: When
your bill was issued and the name of your tariff.
5. Contact information: How to contact
your gas and electricity provider if you have any
bill related queries.
6. Electricity supply number: For
electricity customers this is a unique meter number
usually situated on the front of the bill.
7. Message panel: Details of potentially
money saving promotions from your supplier.
8. Account details: Outlines your
recent payments and the dates they were made.
9. Bill breakdown: An explanation
of how your bill was calculated. This will usually
begin with your meter reading (taken by the company,
supplied or estimated) and is followed by the unit
price to calculate fuel costs. Additional charges
(such as standing orders) and discounts are then
outlined before a total amount due is shown.
10. Total charges:The amount payable
after all charges and discounts are taken into
account.
11. Meter point reference number:
For gas customers this is a unique meter number
usually situated on the reverse of a bill.
12. Important information: An outline
of what to do in an emergency.
13. In case of emergency - electricity: Contact
details in case you suffer an electricity-related
emergency, such as a loss of supply.
14. In case of emergency - gas:
Contact details in case you suffer a gas-related
emergency, such as a loss of supply.
15. Minicom service: Details of
a service for the hard of hearing.
16. Calculating your gas charge:
How to work-out the amount owed on your gas bill.
17. Code of practice/priority service:
Details of additional services including customer
complaints, special needs, prepayments, visits
and more.
18. Unhappy with the service: How
to contact the supplier if you have an unresolved
issue. Each bill should also supply contact details
for Consumer Focus in case you are unhappy with
your supplier's response.