How to read energy bills

Understanding gas and electricity bills or performing an energy meter reading may prove to be complicated for some households. 

However, by reading bills correctly and considering changing a payment method, Britons may find they save valuable money.

We aim to make our gas and electricity bills as easy to understand as possible and should homeowners feel their estimate is too high, they can take an up-to-date meter reading and contact us.

How to read the meter

Britons can read their mechanical energy meter by simply writing down the numbers on display and ignoring any red figures or numbers with red borders. Should the number include a decimal point, any figures appearing after this can also be ignored.

This information can then be passed on to an advisor who may be able to inform consumers if their estimate was too high.

For further information on how to take a meter reading - along with a breakdown of energy bills - customers can visit our website.

Could switching payments save money?

But Britons may find that switching the way they pay for their gas and electricity bills saves them even more money.

With a postal strike expected in the coming months, the Daily Mail has reported that one of the advantages of paying gas and electricity bills by direct debit is that you will not be affected. Paying in this way could also lead to a discount on utility bills.

However, consumers who prefer to pay by post with a cash or cheque payment method will now be charged monthly, rather than quarterly, which could make managing bills simpler.

Gareth Kloet, head of utilities at Confused.com, said: "Receiving a bill every month will hopefully encourage customers to become more aware of their consumption and therefore how much they spend, which are the key tools for budgeting."