Every gas or electricity meter has an estimated annual consumption (EAC) figure associated with it. This is given to your supplier by the energy industry, it’s not calculated or controlled by us and it can update and become more accurate if you provide regular readings.
This can be inaccurate if: you’ve recently moved home, you don’t give regular readings, or your energy use fluctuates.
Once we have an idea of how much energy you use – we can then work out the cost.
Your tariff (unit rates and standing charges)
How much your energy costs depend on your tariff’s unit rate and daily standing charge. A unit rate is a price per unit of energy (pence per kilowatt hour) and if you’re on a fixed tariff, this won’t change during your contract. A standing charge is a price per day (pence per day) which will also be fixed during a fixed tariff.
Your monthly Direct Debit amount will be based on the amount of energy we think you’ll use each year of your contract and either divided equally by 12 or weighted according to winter/summer seasonality. Under the weighted method, Winter Direct Debit amounts run from October-March, Summer Direct Debit amounts run from April-September.
For customers on our variable tariffs, the annual cost is calculated using the same method. However, as the tariff is variable, the unit rates and standing charges may change from time to time. When the unit rates change, we will always give you notice of the changes to rates, and your Direct Debit will be calculated based on the unit rates applicable at that time.
Once we have your estimated usage and the tariff price you have chosen -we can work out your monthly Direct Debit payments.
Your account balance
If you’ve been underpaying, your account balance will be less than it should be, possibly in debit. We will suggest a payment that covers both your expected usage, as well as the shortfall that’s already happened.
If you’ve been overpaying by a lot, we will offer a refund as well as lowering your payment amount. For small over-payments, we will just lower your payment amount.
If it’s been a while since you provided meter readings, your current account balance will be based on estimates, so it might not be accurate.