How to read your energy bill.

The basics at the top

• Your retailer and plan name. The company you pay, and the plan you're on.
• The billing period. The dates the bill covers, usually a month or a quarter. Compare bills on a cost per day, because periods differ.
• The amount due and the due date.

The charges

• Supply charge: a fixed amount for each day you're connected, in cents per day, whether you use any power or not.
• Usage charges: the power you used, in kilowatt-hours (kWh), at cents per kWh. On a time-of-use plan you'll see peak, shoulder and off-peak usage, each at its own rate.
• Controlled load: if you have one, a separately metered circuit, often for hot water, at a cheaper rate at set times.
• Demand charge: on some plans, a charge based on your highest power draw in a set window.

Credits and discounts

• Solar feed-in credit: what you were paid for the solar power you exported, in cents per kWh.
• Discounts: some are conditional, for example on paying on time. Check whether the price you're comparing assumes one.
• Concessions and rebates: government support you may be eligible for, shown as credits.

The meter details

• Your NMI (National Metering Identifier): your electricity connection's ID, 10 or 11 characters. For gas, a MIRN.
• Actual or estimated read: an estimated bill is corrected later, so a big change can be catch-up rather than new usage.
• Your distributor: the network that delivers your power. It decides which plans are available at your address.

GST

GST of 10% applies to household electricity and gas charges. Solar feed-in credits are GST-free.

Or upload your bill to BillWizard and our robot reads all of this for you. How uploading works.

General information, not personal financial advice. Plan rules differ by state and retailer: check a plan's own fact sheet before you sign up.