Your gas and electricity bills contain a lot of information and making sense of what everything means can be confusing.

But it’s important to understand your bill so you can make sure you’re not paying any more than you need to, and so you know when it’s time to switch to a new deal.

 The energy regulator Ofgem states that energy suppliers have to make their bills simple and engaging. The amount of information included on your bill will depend on your supplier, but you can expect to find these things as a minimum:

• The name of your tariff.
• Details of cheaper tariffs.
• How much energy you’ve used.
• Details of your contract, such as the end date and any exit fees.
• Your supplier’s contact details.

As well as these basics, your supplier may also include:

• Customer reference number – A unique number your supplier uses to identify you. You’ll need this if you contact your supplier, so they can quickly find your account

• Bill date – The date the supplier issues the bill to you.

• Bill period – The period of time your bill covers. It should start the day after your last bill, and shouldn’t cover more than a year.

• Last payment – A reminder of how much you paid on your last bill. Keep an eye on this, as if you notice a drastic increase that can’t be explained by seasonal changes, it can be a sign that your tariff has expired, and it’s time to look for a new deal.

• Bill cost before VAT – The cost of the energy you’ve used before VAT tax is added on.

• Amount of VAT added – The amount of VAT tax that’s been added to the cost of your energy.

• Total amount to pay – The amount you have to pay, including VAT tax.

• Supply number (MPAN) – The Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) is a unique number for the electricity meter in your property. Don’t confuse it with your customer reference number.

• Meter point reference number (MPRN) – the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) is a unique number for your gas meter. Again, don’t get this confused with your customer reference number. 

• Energy usage breakdown – This is a broken-down detail of what you’re paying for. This information will show you if your supplier is using an actual figure or an estimated reading when calculating the cost of your bill.

If you need help with understanding your bill, get in touch. We can also help you to find solutions to any fuel problems you are experiencing. Whether it is an energy debt, home efficiency issue or you are in a fuel crisis and without supply; you can get in touch for support.

Call us on 01592 630 922 (option 6 for call-back requests) or email us directly at tssteam@kha.scot