Reading your bill can be daunting and confusing. We’ll show you which parts of the bill are most important so you can find the information you need and ignore the bits you don’t.
Our video shows you the 5 things to look for to stay on top of your bill.
1. Concessions
Look for the word ‘concession’ on your bill. This will tell you if your energy company is applying concessions to make your bill cheaper. If your concession is not listed here, you’re not getting it. So, hop on the phone to your energy company and ask them to apply all your concessions.
2. Best offer
Look for the box on the front of your bill that says ‘could you save money on another plan?’.
This box shows you the cheapest energy plan available with your current energy company. If you’re not currently on this plan, it’s a good idea to call your energy company and ask them to switch to this ‘best offer’ so you can start saving money today.
3. Average daily use
This is a simple way to see you how much energy you’re using on average (in kilowatt hours per day). You can compare this amount with the same time last year to see if your energy use is changing (and whether tips for saving energy are making a difference).
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4. Total cost of bill = new charges + previous balance
New charges (also shown as usage and service charges)
This shows you the cost of your current electricity bill, not to be confused with the figure that shows the amount of money you previously owe.
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Previous balance (unpaid amounts from previous bills)
If you’ve missed a payment or your payment hasn’t been received, the amount you owe (debt) will be reflected here. If you are having trouble paying your previous bill, call your energy company to get payment difficulty help. You may also be eligible for a Utility Relief Grant to help towards what you owe.
5. Billing period
This part of the bill tells you how often your bills arrive and whether you’re paying for one month or three months of electricity.
