Of course, it’s natural to skip straight to the amount owing on your energy bill. But, if you look closer, there is much more valuable information to review. By taking just a little bit more time to check out your energy bill, you may find insights that help you cut energy costs and save money.

If you’d like to see a lower amount for your next energy bill, then paying closer attention to your bill this month is a great way to start.

Look at the billing period

Is the billing period a standard month? Sometimes, billing periods fluctuate. This could be for reasons including:

• longer days in the month (or fewer)

• irregular billing periods (mostly for new customers)

• delay in issuing bills (sometimes we incur unforeseen delays in billing, meaning the billing period may fluctuate)

Look at the read type

What kind of read was your bill? We have two types of reads:

• smart meter reads

• estimates

Smart meter reads take data directly from your meter. If you have one, the meter provides real time data to your supplier. If you’re a Blue NRG customer, you can also access this data yourself and set up alerts when usage exceeds a certain limit through My Account. This is a great way to get notified quickly should your energy usage creep up. This way, you’re in a position to take action right away, rather than getting a surprise when your bill arrives.

However, some customers don’t have smart meters, which means they may receive an estimate. Bills are distributed monthly but meters are only read quarterly. Sometimes our readers are unable to access the meter for a variety of reasons. Therefore, it’s common practice for bills to be estimated in between readings. Because historical data is used, we sometimes find estimates can be inaccurate, particularly if a business has just moved to a new premises or if they have large seasonal fluctuations in usage. If you have a basic meter, you can check it yourself. Then, if you feel your estimate is not accurate, contact us and we’ll help you investigate.

Look at the usage

Your bill includes plenty of data about your usage. So it’s a great idea to start checking your bill each month and understanding what typical usage amounts mean for you. Seasonal changes,  new appliances, fluctuating operating hours and many other factors can cause a change in your usage, and that impacts your bill.

It’s a good idea to compare your usage to the same time last year (and the year before), rather than the previous month, when circumstances could have been different.

Your bill has plenty of information and that’s a good thing. It means you can use the insights to take action and find ways to reduce your costs.

Want more help reducing energy? Contact us and our friendly team will chat to you about ways your businesses can reduce its electricity bills.