Where to find the information you need on your energy bill

This page describes where you can usually find the information you need to use this website.  However, each retailer's bills are set out differently. If you do not understand your bill, please look at your retailer's website or contact your retailer.  Click here for links to retailer websites. 

General information on energy bills 

The first page of an energy bill usually shows a summary of your account, including the amount you paid for the previous billing period, the total new charges for the current billing period, any amount owing from the previous billing period and the date payment is due.  The period the bill covers (usually expressed in days) may be on the first or second page of the bill.  

The second page of the bill usually provides itemised information on the amount of electricity (expressed in KWh) or gas (expressed in MJ) you used during the billing period, the price you have been charged per kWh or MJ, and the price you have been charged per day for being connected (the 'service availability charge' or 'supply charge').  

If you have a time-of-use meter for electricity and are being charged time-of-use tariffs, the itemised information will show the different prices you have been charged per kWh or MJ you used during peak, shoulder and off-peak periods. If you have an electric off peak hot water system, it will also show the price you have been charged per KWh for this 'controlled load' and may show a second 'service availability charge' or 'supply charge'. 

Where to find the information required to use the calculator

When you use the calculator, it will ask you for the following information which is included on your bill:

• For electricity offers only, whether you have a time-of-use meter or a standard meter. If you don't know, look in the itemised information usually on the second page of your bill. If different prices are shown for peak, shoulder and off-peak periods, then you have a time-use-meter. If not, you have a standard meter.
• For electricity offers only, if you have an off peak hot water service. Again, if you don't know, look in the itemised information usually on the second page of your bill. If a charge for a 'controlled load' is shown, you have this kind of hot water service.
• How frequently you receive bills. If you don't know, you can work this out by looking at the period covered by the bill, which may be on the first or second page of the bill. If this period is approximately 3 months or 90 days you are billed quarterly; if it covers around 2 months or 60 days you are billed bi-monthly; and if it covers around 30 days you are billed monthly.
• Either:
  • How much you spent in the billing period (usually on the first page) or
  • The amount of energy (kWh or MJ) you consumed in the billing period (usually on the second page).   

If possible, we recommend you provide the calculator with information on the amount of energy you consume rather than the amount you spend, as this is likely to result in a more accurate estimate of your annual bill under each offer. 

In addition, we recommend you calculate your average quarterly energy consumption rather than using the consumption for one billing period. Most households' consumption of gas and electricity varies throughout the year, due to variations in the weather and how they use their large appliances. Therefore, the amount of energy you consume in one billing period may not provide an accurate indication of the amount of energy you are likely to use over a whole year. For information on how to calculate your average quarterly energy consumption, see below. 

Calculating your average quarterly energy consumption

To calculate your average quarterly energy consumption:

• find your electricity or gas bills for the past 12 months
• find the amount of energy you used in each billing period (in kWh or MJ, usually in the itemised information on the second page of your bill)
• add these amounts together to give your annual energy consumption
• divide by 4 to give your quarterly energy consumption. 

This is likely to provide a more accurate annual bill estimate than one based on the energy consumption of a single bill period.