Your energy bill contains important information about your electricity or gas usage. Guidelines are in place to make sure energy bills are easy to understand.

Your bill will include clear headings to help you understand:

  • how your energy bill has been calculated
  • how much energy you have used
  • how to raise a complaint
  • financial hardship support options
  • relevant contact numbers
  • if your retailer has a better energy plan - this better offer is generally provided every 100 days.

Check your energy retailer's website for an example of their bill. They will usually describe each section to help you understand how you use energy and how you are charged.

Reading electricity bills

Your retailer's bill might look different to other retailers, but they should have the same standard information. While electricity and gas bills look similar, they have some different technical information.

The Energy Made Easy website also has an example bill to help you work out what the key terms on your energy bill mean.

How to read your bill - Energy Made Easy

Standard information on a bill

Supply address is the location where the energy is being provided and used. This could be different to the postal address.

Better offer message - new guidelines require retailers to provide a message advising if they have a cheaper plan based on your usage. This better offer message is generally provided once every 100 days.

Meter number is the specific number for the device that measures the amount of energy used at the property:

  • electricity meter - NMI or national meter identifier
  • gas meter - MIRN or meter identification reference number.

Amount Due is the total amount you owe after all credits (money taken off your bill) and debits (money added to your bill) have been considered.

Billing period is the number of days the bill covers:

  • Different retailers can issue bills for different periods of time. If you notice a significant change in your energy bill, double check how many days the bill covers.

Average usage per day:

  • Electricity is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) over the billing period.
  • Gas is measured in megajoules (MJ) over the billing period.

Read type tells you if the bill is based on an actual reading from your meter. If the bill is based on an estimate it must state “based on an estimation”.

Supply Charge is the amount charged per day for the connection to the electricity or gas network. This is a fixed fee and will be charged even if you switch off your power when you go away on holiday.

Electricity bills

Consumption is the total amount of electricity used. Electricity is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). This means that if you use a heater with a power consumption of 2kW for 5 hours a day, then you will be charged for 10 kWh that day.

Tariff is the price charged per kWh at the time it is used.

You may either be on a flat rate tariff, where the price is the same regardless of time of the day, or on a time of use tariff, which will have different charges for deferent times of the day.

A controlled load may also be offered which is a secondary circuit on your meter for a limited number of hours each day, typically in the solar sponge or off peak times. This is usually offered for items such as older hot water heaters and underfloor heating.

South Australia's distributor, SAPN (SA Power Networks) quotes the following times for time of use tariffs:

  • Peak: 6:00 am to 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to midnight
  • Off peak: midnight to 6:00 am
  • Solar sponge: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Gas bills

Consumption is the total amount of gas used. Gas is measured in Megajoules (MJ).

Tariff is the prices paid per MJ.

Pressure and heating value is set by the gas distributor – who owns the pipeline – and is used to cross check the meter usage and the MJ usage on your bill.

The calculation for your total energy usage is:

  • [meter reading] x [pressure factor] x [heating value] = M (total energy used).

High energy bills

Compare your current bills with previous ones – preferably over the last year to capture any seasonal variations.

Your bill could be higher than normal because:

  • you're using more energy. If you have a smart meter you can monitor your energy use and generation for free via the SAPN portal – all you need is your bill details
  • the tariffs you pay have increased
  • the discounts you receive have changed, such as concessions or solar feed-in tariffs
  • new fees and charges are included, e.g. late payment fees
  • old unpaid bills have been added as debits as debits to your bill.

Getting help with energy bills

Contact your retailer if you're having trouble paying your energy bills. By law, they must help you find a solution. This could include:

  • offering you a payment plan
  • joining their hardship program
  • directing you to other services that can help.

If you are having financial difficulties, a financial counsellor can help you get back on track. Their services are free.

Billing errors

Errors on your bill are uncommon but could happen due to a technical problem. This type of error could include:

  • the wrong tariff amount was used to work out the charge
  • peak electricity prices were applied to an eligible off-peak appliance
  • credit for electricity fed back into the grid was not included.

    • The meter reader could also record the wrong numbers if your meter was read manually.

An estimate might not be 100% accurate but can be used if the retailer hasn't been able to gain access to your meter. They will base the amount on your past use or the average use in your area. Actual readings will be used once the meter can be read and your bill will be adjusted either up or down.

You'll see based on an estimation on your bill if it was calculated using an estimate.

If you received an estimated bill and don't agree with the amount you've been charged, you could submit your own meter reading (assuming you don't have a smart meter). Contact your energy retailer directly to check how to do this.

The retailer must repay you when they've made the error.

If the amount is:

  • less than $50, you must be credited the amount on your next bill
  • more than $50, you can request an different method for repayment.

You could receive an adjustment bill if you've been undercharged. For example, the estimated use was less than how much you consumed.

Generally, if you are undercharged there are rules that apply:

  • undercharging can be recovered for a maximum of 9 months prior to the date you are notified
  • they must tell you the amount
  • they must explain how the amount was calculated
  • the amount must be listed as a separate item or on a special bill
  • interest cannot be charged on the amount
  • if it occurred for less than 12 months, you must be offered the same length of time to pay
  • if it has occurred for 12 months or more, you are entitled to 12 months to pay.