1 Your bills explained A comprehensive guide to understanding your bill
2 Your details This is the address where we send your bills and where your gas and electricity is normally supplied to. If your energy is supplied to a different property to where we send the bill, you ll see this address below. It sounds obvious but it s really important to check that we ve got these details correct. If anything s wrong please let us know. You can find our contact details on your bill. When you get in touch with us, please don t forget to quote your account number, so we can find your account details faster. 1
3 Account balance Your account balance will look slightly different depending on the way you pay. If you pay for your energy when you receive your bill, we ll show you how much to pay and when you need to pay it. If you pay for your energy by monthly Direct Debit we will request your bank to make a payment to us from your account. If we ve reviewed your account and your Direct Debit amount needs to change, either because you re paying too much or too little, we ll show your new payment amount on your bill. You can see an example of this below. 2
4 If you pay for your energy each quarter by Direct Debit, we ll show the payment for this quarter and the date we will request payment from your bank account. We ll also show you if your Direct Debit discount has been applied since your last bill. You could also pay for your electricity or gas by prepayment meter. In this case, your bill will show your account balance. This may be different to what you see on your meter. Remember, whichever way you pay, we re here to help. If you re struggling to pay your energy bills please give us a call. There are a number of ways we can help. To find out more about our Direct Debit scheme visit npower.com/directdebit Why not take a look at our energy saving tips which explains how you could cut your energy bills through energy efficiency around the home. Visit npower.com/eetips or contact us on our energy efficiency helpline on 0800 022 220 (free from most landlines) or 0330 100 8620 (included in any inclusive minutes from mobiles). 3
5 Meter readings We will always tell you whether your bill is based on a meter reading or an estimate. We use meter readings to calculate how much gas or electricity you ve used. The more accurate the reading the more accurate your bill or statement will be. One of our meter readers may call round to your property to take a reading; we call this an actual reading. Or maybe you ve sent one online, by phone, or by post; we call this a customer reading. If we have neither of these we ll estimate your usage based on things like your previous usage and time of year - we call this an estimated reading. 4
6 While we try to make our estimated readings as accurate as possible, they could be too low, meaning you are building up a debt, or they could be too high which means you could be paying too much. If your bill is based on an estimate, you can give us a new meter reading. We ll use this to make your future bills more accurate and in some circumstances we ll issue you with a new bill or statement. You can submit an up to date meter reading online by going to My npower account at npower.com/mynpower Sometimes when you send us a meter reading we might not be able to use it to calculate your next bill. Perhaps because we d already started to calculate your bill, or because it s not in line with previous readings. Don t worry, the reading will be added to your account for future bills, or if there s a problem we ll be in touch. Remember, if you sign up to our meter read reminder service, you ll receive emails to prompt you to send a reading at just the right time. You can register or login online at npower.com/mynpower
7 Important messages and helpful information On the front of your bill you may find other messages that you could find useful. We update these messages regularly so keep an eye out for new information and offers here. The back of your bill also contains useful information. We know that the gas and electricity industry can use a lot of confusing terms, so there s a Jargon Buster to help you understand them. Plus there s a help and advice section for you to refer to whenever you want or need to. You can find this useful information on the reverse of the first page of your bill. 5
8 How we calculate your bill Step 1: We look at the amount of energy you have used - which could change depending on the time of year, for example. Step 2: We apply our prices to get a cost for the energy that you ve used. Step 3: Finally, we take into account any discounts, credits or debits on your account, to work out the final amount you need to pay (Adding VAT at the applicable rate) - if you pay your bill quarterly, on receipt of bill, monthly Direct Debit or via a prepayment meter. 6 steps explained fully on next page
9 Step 1: Working out how much energy you ve used. We look at the last reading from your previous bill (or if you re a new customer we ll use your opening meter reading) and we compare it to the latest reading we may have for you. The difference is the energy you ve used; this energy is shown in Kilowatt hours (kwh). We have to make more calculations for gas. For more details check out the Jargon Buster on the back of your bill. These may be actual readings which have been taken by one of our meter readers or customer readings that you ve sent in yourself. If we don t have either of these we ll base it on an estimate. Now we have the amount of energy you have used we can work out the cost. This is Step 2. Step 2: Applying prices to work out the cost of your energy. On most tariffs you pay a higher rate for the first units that you use each year; this is known as the primary rate. We show the units used at this rate and the cost of each unit. The primary rate gas rate is charged across 12 months on a seasonably adjusted basis with more primary rate units being charged in the winter months. The maximum units charged at the primary rate in each month is detailed in the Jargon Buster on the back of your bill. You then pay a lower rate for the rest of the units you use. The reason we charge different rates is because there s no standing charge on most of our tariffs so the higher rate helps to cover the fixed costs we have to pay to supply electricity or gas to you, for example distribution and metering costs. For other tariffs these fixed costs are covered by a standing charge. A single unit rate then applies to the energy you use. If you have an Economy 7 tariff you ll also see a separate rate for the units you use during the 7 hour cheaper rate period. This is explained in more detail on the back of the first page of your bill in the Jargon Buster section. In this final column we multiply each tariff rate by the relevant number of units used and add it up to get your total energy cost. We then add VAT to give you a total charge for this period. If prices have changed since your last bill or you ve switched to a new tariff, you ll see how we ve taken the new prices into account here. We simply look at the amount of energy you ve used at your old prices and the amount of energy you ve used at the new prices to work out the total cost. So if prices do change, don t worry, you don t need to do anything else. Step 3: Including credits or debits to work out your final balance. To work out your final balance we look at your total energy cost for the period and then include any credits or debits on your account. This section will look slightly different depending on the way you pay. If you pay the full amount once you ve received your bill, we ll show the total amount you need to pay. If you ve made any payments since your last bill, you ll see it there. If you pay by monthly Direct Debit, we ll show your account balance from your last statement and add on your total energy charges for this period. We then take off any payments you ve made and any Direct Debit discount that s been applied to give an account balance. This is for your information only as we will continue to request payments from your bank account. If you pay via a Prepayment meter, we ll summarise the payments you have made compared to the account charges. This summary is for your information only; please continue to credit your meter as normal. Whichever way you pay, you may see that a credit or debit has been applied to your bill due to transfers or cancelled accounts.
10 Your energy use chart This chart shows your average daily energy use for this bill period compared to the same time last year, so you can see whether you re using more or less energy than before. There are lots of things that can change the amount of energy your household uses, for example the weather, new appliances and changes to your lifestyle. If you re already trying to save energy, this chart is a great way to see if you re making progress. If you ve not yet tried to use less energy, why not give it a go? It could help save you money and do your bit for the environment. Take a look at our energy saving tips at npower.com/eetips 7 Phone calls: Calling us on a 0800 number is normally free when you call from a landline but charges may vary if you use a mobile. Calling us on a 0330 number will cost you no more than 01 or 02 numbers from landlines or mobiles. If you get inclusive minutes with your package, calls on a 0330 number will be part of these. npower is a registered trademark and the trading name of Npower Limited (Registered No. 3653277), Npower Gas Limited (Registered No. 2999919), Npower Northern Limited (Registered No. 3432100) who also act as an agent for Npower Northern Supply Limited (Registered No. 2845740) for the supply of electricity, Npower Yorkshire Limited (Registered No. 3937808) who also act as an agent for Npower Yorkshire Supply Limited (Registered No. 4212116) for the supply of electricity. Registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon SN5 6PB.