How to understand your energy bill

Bills from each energy supplier will look different but they should all have:

When you contact your energy supplier, you often need to tell them your customer reference or account number.

This helps your energy supplier to find your details.

Your tariff sets how much you have to pay for each unit of gas and electricity you use.

Your tariff sets how much you have to pay for your standing charge.

The standing charge is a charge you have to pay every day for your gas or electricity.

You have to pay a standing charge every day, even if you do not use gas or electricity every day.

A standing charge can also be called a daily rate or a daily unit rate.

For more information about different types of energy tariffs, go to our energy tariffs page.

You will only be able to see the prices of different tariffs from your energy supplier.

You might be able to pay less for your gas or electricity with a different energy supplier.

Energy suppliers use meter readings to work out how much gas or electricity you have used.

For more information about meter readings, go to our gas, electric and smart meter page.

How much money you need to pay depends on 3 things:

1. How much gas or electricity you have used.

2. The standing charge for your gas or electricity.

3. Your account balance.

Your account balance tells you how much you owe your energy supplier or how much you are in credit.

In credit means that you have paid for more gas or electricity than you have used.

A credit balance will show as +, CR or a positive balance on your bill.

If you are always in credit on your bill, it could mean that you are paying too much.

If you are always in credit on your bill, contact your energy supplier to see if you can pay them less.

If you are in debit with your energy supplier, it means you have paid for less gas or electricity than you have used.

A debit balance will show as -, DR or a negative balance on your bill.

If you are in debit, you might have to pay your energy supplier more money.

For more information about different ways to pay for your gas or electricity, go to our paying for your gas or electricity page.

If you find it difficult to understand your energy bill, contact your energy provider and ask to go on their Priority Services Register .

The Priority Services Register is a list of people who can get extra help with their gas, electricity and water.

If you are on the Priority Services Register, you should be able to ask your energy company to make your bill easier to understand.

For more information about the Priority Services Register, go to our Priority Services Register page.

You can get help and advice on our website at www.mencap.org.uk/COL

If you are worried about money, contact our Learning Disability Helpline:

Call us Monday to Friday on 0808 808 1111 

Thank you to So Energy for funding.