E NE RG Y MAT TER S
FACT SHEET 7:
UNDERSTANDING YOUR ELECTRICITY BILLS
Unless you are removed from the
electricity grid and have your own
generator, you or someone you live with or
your landlord will get an electricity bill
four times a year.
Obviously the two most important
pieces of information on it are the Total
Amount Payable and the Due Date. If
you (or someone) doesn’t pay the first by
the second, you might find yourself in the
dark!
However, there is a lot more
information on the back of the bill which
can help if you are trying to keep track of
your electricity usage.
In the following examples, an
EnergyAustralia bill is used (see over) –
the wording may be different for other
suppliers. All quoted prices are as at May
2008.
1. Are you on off-peak rates for
your hot water?
Look for a section Energy Used & Costs,
which itemises the different circuits in the
house.
If one of the lines says Off-Peak 1 or
2, then you are paying the reduced rate
(about half – 4.9 or 7.5 c/kWhr) for
overnight heating of the hot water. If not,
you either have gas or you are paying too
much for your hot water!
2. How is my normal rate being
charged?
In the same section are the meter readings
and charges for the other meters (i.e
circuits) in the house. For a normal house,
there will probably be 2-4, depending on
whether you have an air conditioner or
another major (optional) high-demand
device.
The meters are identified by long
alphanumeric sequences, and their
individual readings are shown, along with
the total (not including off-peak).
For most householders, there are two
rates:
•
the first 1750 kwHr in total is charged
at the standard rate (12.9 c/kWhr)
•
any usage beyond that is charged at a
higher rate (17.9 c/kWhr)
If you have the most up-to-date
SmartMeter, you may already be paying
Peak/Shoulder/Off-Peak rates which are
an extension of the current Normal/OffPeak rates, but don’t require a separate
circuit (as off-peak does), just a
sophisticated meter. The suppliers are
rolling these meters out over the next few
years.
3. I’m trying to reduce my
electricity usage – how do I know
whether it’s working?
The overall price each quarter is obviously
one way, but fairly obviously, the different
seasons will affect the bill, regardless of
whether your energy-saving actions are
working (see over).
If you don’t keep your bills after you
pay them, you can still compare the
current quarter with the last one and the
equivalent period last year in the Average
Daily Usage graphic.
Exercise 1
Which is the more comparison – Last bill
or Same period last year? Why?
4. How much carbon dioxide am I
responsible for electricity-wise?
It is shown under the Average Daily Usage
graphic. By itself, it doesn’t really mean
much, since it hard to imagine what 2131.3
kg of CO2 really means in the overall
picture. It is simply the kWhr multiplied
by a conversion factor.
If you are actively trying to do things that
will save electricity, then you really should
be keeping your bills, or at least recording
the kWhr values for each meter.
2500
Total kWhr
2000
1500
1000
500
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Sp
in
W
Au
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0
2006-7
Typical total household electricity consumption
Energy Matters 7: Understanding Your Energy Bill
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