Reading your gas and electricity bill
Reading your gas and electricity bills is something that we all have to do, but that doesn't mean that they make it easy for us. The bills are full of jargon and figures, many of which we don't even need to know, and so it is hard to find the information you want. YouGov found that 75% of people found their energy bills confusing and only 4 in 10 could actually understand the payment calculations on their bill. However, it is important that you can understand your bill so that you understand the electricity prices you are actually paying and can identify if you are paying too much.
Top Half
The top half of your bill is the easy bit, containing information like contact details, customer reference numbers and the overall cost. Surprisingly, energy suppliers make it as easy as possible for you to see exactly how much you owe them, so that you can pay them on time! Slightly confusing elements include the bill period, which is actually just the dates between which the bill covers. You will also find any additional information in this section, as well as your electricity supply number which you may need in correspondences with your energy provider.
Usage Section
This is where the bills start to get really complicated because this section includes the formula that is used to work out your payment, based on your usage. You need to understand this section to identify if any mistakes have been made. In this section you will find your meter point reference number, sometimes referred to as MPRN, which you will need if you decide to change your gas supplier. There will also be an in depth breakdown of the energy that you have used. You will find the Kilowatt hours used (kWh) used, which is basically the amount of time you have used energy for, in hours. This may sound confusing, but the other important piece of information is the cost per kilowatt hour. The total amount you pay is simply the number of hours of energy you have used, multiplied by the price-per- hour.
Meter Readings
The meter readings section is also very important as this will determine exactly how much you have to pay! It is imperative that you enter your meter readings correctly as this could result in you paying more and less than you owe, and inevitably will come back to bite you with a large bill that month, or a big one sometime in the future. Try not to confuse the meter reading with the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) or the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN), which you will only need when changing suppliers, as these are simply reference numbers used to identify your particular meters.
Top Half
The top half of your bill is the easy bit, containing information like contact details, customer reference numbers and the overall cost. Surprisingly, energy suppliers make it as easy as possible for you to see exactly how much you owe them, so that you can pay them on time! Slightly confusing elements include the bill period, which is actually just the dates between which the bill covers. You will also find any additional information in this section, as well as your electricity supply number which you may need in correspondences with your energy provider.
Usage Section
This is where the bills start to get really complicated because this section includes the formula that is used to work out your payment, based on your usage. You need to understand this section to identify if any mistakes have been made. In this section you will find your meter point reference number, sometimes referred to as MPRN, which you will need if you decide to change your gas supplier. There will also be an in depth breakdown of the energy that you have used. You will find the Kilowatt hours used (kWh) used, which is basically the amount of time you have used energy for, in hours. This may sound confusing, but the other important piece of information is the cost per kilowatt hour. The total amount you pay is simply the number of hours of energy you have used, multiplied by the price-per- hour.
Meter Readings
The meter readings section is also very important as this will determine exactly how much you have to pay! It is imperative that you enter your meter readings correctly as this could result in you paying more and less than you owe, and inevitably will come back to bite you with a large bill that month, or a big one sometime in the future. Try not to confuse the meter reading with the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) or the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN), which you will only need when changing suppliers, as these are simply reference numbers used to identify your particular meters.
