My energy bill

Your bill is the most important tool to understanding your service. Breaking down the jargon can help you spot problems with your service.

Understanding your energy bill

Most energy retailers send bills in the post, or via email, every quarter (sometimes more regularly for your gas supply). The information on a typical bill can include confusing terms and jargon.

Here's what you need to know to check your energy bill is accurate

• Your name, address and the date of the bill
• Customer account or reference number (always quote this when you contact your energy retailer)
• Your energy retailer and its contact details
• Name of your gas or electricity tariff (this should match your contract)
• How much you need to pay (including any credits or money owed from previous bills) and when you need to pay by
• Meter number (the number on your bill should match the number on your meter)
• Billing period: the period in which you used the energy you're being charged for
• Meter readings: the meter readings that have been used to calculate the amount of energy you've used (measured in kilowatt hours or kWh for electricity and megajoules or MJ for gas). If your bill is based on an estimate of how much you’ve used, this should be clearly marked on the bill.
• Amount your retailer is charging you for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity or megajoule (MJ) of gas.

How energy prices are set

Your electricity and natural gas bill covers the costs of wholesale electricity and natural gas, transportation through the networks, and retail services. This factsheet explains what these costs are and why electricity and natural gas prices for customers can rise.