Billing

You should not make the assumption that your bills are correct, everyone can make mistakes and your energy supplier is no different. Billing errors make up over 50% of all complaints to the industry watchdog

Although your energy bills can look a little confusing it is worth spending a little time checking them

When you receive a bill check the following information:

• The bill you receive is for the correct premises. Check the name and the postcode
• Any payments you have made have been correctly credited to the account
• If you pay a monthly fixed amount make sure your account doesn't go too much into debit or credit. You can alter your payments at any time to cover the amount of energy you use
• If your meter has been read but your bill still shows an estimated reading, highlight this with your supplier and request a new bill

Other things you can do:

• Make sure that you know where all the meters are which serve your premises and how to gain access to them
• Ensure you take a meter reading on the day you take over new premises and the day you leave the premises. Keep these readings safe for future reference and check them against your first and final bills for the premises
• If you have an estimated bill check that it seems reasonable compared to your usual usage
• Take your own regular meter readings and advise your supplier if there are any discrepancies with their readings. Keep a dated record of your readings
• Make sure you know who is responsible for the maintenance of your meters. Additional costs could appear on your bill if your energy supplier subcontracts to other parties

There is no getting away

Remember that you must pay for all energy used during the time you occupy your business premises. Suppliers can chase you for payment for up to 6 years so you should ensure that you agree with the level of consumption being billed by maintaining your own set of records. If your bills arrive under someone else’s name do not think that you will be able to get away without paying them. It is better to sort this kind of thing out quickly to avoid building up debts which you will have to pay in the future

Having difficulties paying your bills?

If you are having difficulties in paying your bills, or feel that you might be heading that way, contact your energy supplier as soon as possible to work out a way forward. If you ignore any problems they will not go away but generally get worse as you will accrue late payment fees etc. There is usually a resolution to be found, but only if you talk to your supplier

If you have any queries about your bills, or need something explaining, contact your supplier. They all have an obligation to provide you with clear information