How to read your business energy bill

Usage and supply charges

Usage charges depend on how much energy your business uses. Electricity is usually shown in kilowatt hours (kWh). Gas may use megajoules (MJ) or other billing units, so compare equivalent units. The daily supply charge is a fixed charge for each day of the billing period, even when little energy is used.

A lower usage rate does not always mean a lower bill. For a low-usage site, a higher daily supply charge can offset a cheaper rate per unit.

Single rate, time of use and demand

A single-rate tariff applies one usage rate. A time-of-use tariff has different prices for specified periods. A demand charge can depend on your highest level of demand in a defined interval, rather than total consumption alone.

If your bill has peak, shoulder, off-peak or demand charges, keep the detailed charges pages. A blended average is useful for a first look but cannot price every business’s operating pattern accurately.

Billing period, meter and network

• Check the start and end dates, number of days and whether the meter reading is actual or estimated.
• Find the network distributor and NMI for electricity or MIRN for gas. These identify the supply arrangements separately from the retailer that sends the bill.
• Use a full year of usage where possible. Heating, cooling, seasonal trade and changes in opening hours can make one month unrepresentative.

GST, fees, discounts and credits

Compare GST on the same basis. Separate energy usage and supply from overdue balances, late fees, one-off credits and solar export credits. Check the conditions and expiry dates of any discount.

Our automated comparison estimates annual usage and supply costs including GST. It excludes conditional discounts, solar credits and one-off fees. Full pricing and eligibility still need confirmation.

What should I upload?

Use a recent PDF or a clear photo that includes the usage and charge details, postcode and network. Supported files are PDF, JPG, PNG and WEBP up to 5 MB. You can review site details after extraction. If details cannot be read, upload a clearer copy rather than relying on guessed figures.

Your file is sent to LlamaIndex for extraction. We do not save the uploaded bill file and request deletion of processing files and results afterwards. Our privacy policy explains the data retained if you request a callback.