There are three reasons why your latest quarterly electricity or gas bill might have gone up:
- You have used more electricity or gas than last quarter
- Your supplier's electricity and/or gas prices have risen
- Your bill has been based upon an estimated meter read
your energy usage
Electricity and gas bills can vary greatly from quarter to quarter with the changing seasons or weather patterns. If you have air-conditioning then you are likely to see much higher power bills in summer than at other times of the year. If you have electric heating then your electricity bills could spike in winter depending upon how inefficient your heater is. If you have gas heating then your gas bills would likely be quite high during winter months and very small during the warmer months.
There are also many other factors that might influence how much energy you use at home. For example, if you have purchased new appliances such as Plasma TVs, air-conditioners, dishwashers, heaters or driers, these could have increased your electricity consumption.
the price you pay
Electricity prices are changed in July each year in all parts of Australia, except Victoria where they are usually changed in January or February. In 2010 energy supplier's electricity rates increased by about 10 to 20 per cent depending upon where you live. This means that if your usage has not changed you would still expect to pay 10 to 20 per cent more for each electricity bill this year. However, if your bills have gone up much more than 10 to 20 per cent the explanation must be due to you using more energy over the quarter or that you have been sent an estimated bill.
estimated bills
Power and gas bills are usually issued each quarter, except in Victoria where gas bills are usually issued every two months. These bills are issued by your retailer after your meter is read by your local distributor (the company that actually owns and maintains your meter, wires, poles and pipes). However, in some cases your local distributor might have been unable to access your meter, for example, where your meter is located inside a building or locked meter box. In other cases a meter read might have been taken but the reading is later rejected by the distributor due to error. In such cases the distributor would estimate your meter reading based upon previous usage history.
You will be able to determine if your bill is based upon an estimated meter read as it should have an E next to your latest meter read shown on the bill. You should look at your meter and compare what it shows to the reading shown on your bill. If the reading on your bill is significantly different from that shown on your meter then you should contact your energy company to tell them of the actual reading and request an adjusted bill be sent to you.
If you are still concerned about your power or gas bill please talk to your energy supplier about the causes of your higher bills.