1. Amount of the bill

1. Amount of the bill

• Duty on suppliers to obtain meter readings
• Check consumption
• Consumption: reasons for a high bill
• Consumption: exceptional reasons for a high bill
• Other charges in the bill

This chapter looks at ways of checking whether you are paying the correct amount for your gas and electricity. If your bills are correct, see Chapter 4 for how to pay; Chapters 11 and 12 for financial and other help with paying them; and Chapters 7 and 8 if you are in arrears and/or facing disconnection. Chapter 14 suggests remedies for when a supplier charges you the wrong amount.

Understanding your bill

Your bill must show what you have paid and what you owe, a summary of your energy usage and details of your supplier’s cheapest deal. For help understanding fuel bills, see citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply.

Suppliers must provide a bill or statement of account at least twice a year, or quarterly if you request a quarterly bill.1Condition 21B.5 SLC Bills should be available ’in plain and intelligible language’,2Condition 21B.7 SLC in a form you can retain,3Condition 31H.3(a) SLC easily available for reference4Condition 31H.3(b) SLC and free of charge.5Condition 21B.8 SLC A supplier cannot charge for providing you with a bill, details of consumption used to calculate the bill or any statement of account. However, your supplier can charge for providing copies of bills that have already been sent to you.6Condition 21B.8 SLC

 

Suppliers must give you reasonable time and notice, in an appropriate form and frequency (taking into account your characteristics and preferences) of a price rise or any other change to billing which will leave you worse off.7Condition 31H.1 SLC and 31I SLC Suppliers also have to actively enable you to understand and manage your costs and consumption on an ongoing basis, such as by providing you with information, tools and services to make informed tariff and consumption choices.8Condition 31H.1 SLC, 31F.3 SLC and 0.3(b)(v) SLC Standard Licence Condition (SLC) 31H requires that suppliers include in your bill a machine readable label (such as a QR codes) and an ‘About Your Tariff’ label, providing you with key data and information about your tariff and consumption to enable and encourage you to compare the energy retail market and make more informed decisions about your choice of energy supplier.9Condition 31F.4 SLC and 31H.4(d) SLC

If you have a smart meter calibrated to take remote transmission meter readings, your supplier must provide monthly billing information based on actual consumption.10Condition 21B.5A SLC

Your supplier must also include information about sources of independent and impartial advice.11Condition 31H.5 SLC

 

1     Condition 21B.5 SLC »

2     Condition 21B.7 SLC »

3     Condition 31H.3(a) SLC »

4     Condition 31H.3(b) SLC »

5     Condition 21B.8 SLC »

6     Condition 21B.8 SLC »

7     Condition 31H.1 SLC and 31I SLC »

8     Condition 31H.1 SLC, 31F.3 SLC and 0.3(b)(v) SLC »

9     Condition 31F.4 SLC and 31H.4(d) SLC »

10     Condition 21B.5A SLC »

11     Condition 31H.5 SLC »