Why is my bill higher than expected?
There are a few reasons why you might receive an unexpectedly large bill.
1. The last bill you received was underestimated and, now that we’ve received a reading, we’ve sent you a catch‐up bill.
Every home in the UK has an official estimate of how much energy it will use in a year. This is based on historic meter readings. It’s updated each time we receive a meter reading and passed on to your new supplier whenever you switch.
If there are big changes in how you use energy in your home, or if we haven’t received a meter reading from you in a while, our estimates can fall short of your actual usage. This means that when we are able to bill you to accurate meter readings, the charges have to catch up, resulting in a larger bill than you might have expected.
To avoid catch-up bills, be sure to provide us with monthly meter readings or ask one of the team to book in a smart meter installation for you. If you’d like to submit a meter reading now, click here or log in via the app or portal.
If you’re not sure how to read your meter, you can find some instructions here. If you’re worried about being able to pay your catch‐up bill, contact us and we can set you up with a payment plan.
2. There is a typo in your latest reading
Sometimes meter readings can come through in the wrong order or include decimals when they shouldn’t.
To check your meter readings, have a look at page two of your bill or visit the ‘meter readings’ page on the app or portal. If the meter readings don’t match what you have seen on your meter, contact us with the correct reading and, if possible, a clear photo of the meter showing the meter reading and meter serial number so that we can correct this for you.
3. Good Energy has the wrong meter details for you
When a meter exchange takes place, the meter operator (usually SMS) lets Good Energy and other industry parties know about it. These should automatically update Good Energy’s records so that the customer’s billing remains accurate.
Sometimes, this data can contain small errors or get lost in transit; and sometimes meters are exchanged in emergencies and data isn’t sent at all. This can lead to inaccurate account information and inaccurate billing.
To check if the meter details we hold are correct, check that the meter serial number listed on page two of your bills matches the number you can see on your meter. If you’re unsure, email us a photo of your meter, clearly showing the meter reading, the meter serial number and any yellow tags or labels attached to the meter. It’s also useful if you can confirm:
- Your supply address as seen on your council tax bill or the Post Office website
- The location of your meter (inside/outside/in a bank of meters)
4. You recently moved into a property or switched the supply, and the change of supply reading or change of tenancy reading was estimated.
If you move into a property or switch your property’s supply to Good Energy and don’t provide us with a meter reading, we’ll estimate one based on the historic meter readings held for the property. If this reading underestimates previous usage, then you may be left with a catch-up bill.
If you are renting, the Lettings Agent normally provides a start of tenancy reading as part of their check–in report. Email this meter reading to us and we will correct your bill.
If you can’t find an accurate meter reading for the period, email us a photo of your current meter reading, showing the meter reading and meter serial number. We will then ask you to send two more meter readings a week apart to help us to re-estimate your starting reason.
We may only be able to adjust this reading so far without proof, so be sure to note your meter readings whenever you move or switch.
If you have recently switched to us but your first bill doesn’t list the meter reading you provided to us, this may be because the reading you original provided failed a tolerance test. To get this corrected, email us with a photo of your current meter reading and meter serial number and we can raise a dispute with your previous supplier. Disputes can only be raised if the meter readings exceed certain tolerances:
- Electricity meter readings must differ by more than 250kWh
- Gas meter readings must differ by more than 109m3 or 39ft3
Disputes can take several weeks, even months, to resolve as there’s often some back and forth required. Please be patient with us. Once a new opening meter reading is agreed, both Good Energy and your previous supplier will rebill you.
5. You have an Economy 7 meter and we’re billing your registers the wrong way around.
An Economy 7 meter is a meter that registers two different meter readings – usually a day reading and a night reading. These are charged at different rates.
Occasionally, meter readings either get allocated to the wrong register, or are labelled as the wrong register, so we bill your day usage as if it were night usage and vice versa.
In both cases, a test called Timed Meter Readings will confirm which way around the meter readings and registers should be. To do this, take a meter reading sometime between 8am and midday. Wait a few hours and take another meter reading sometime before 11pm. Only one of the two readings should change. This is your day register and reading.
If you think the readings on your bills are the wrong way around, send us an email with the photos of your timed meter readings, along with the date and time they were taken, and we’ll get this corrected for you.
6. You’re using more than you realise or there’s a problem with your meter.
Electricity and gas meters are reliable devices and very rarely go wrong. Usually, the problem is simply that you’re using more energy than you realise.
If you’re interested in energy-saving tips, you can find more information at:
Key culprits of high bills are:
- Immersion water heaters that are left on constantly
- High heating
- Electric plug-in heaters
- Older appliances which have reduced efficiency
- Poor insulation
- Building work
- A change in household circumstances such as additional people to stay or more time spent at home.
If you none of these explain your recent high bill, then your meter might be faulty. There are a few tests you can do to investigate this. In all cases, we recommend emailing us photos of the meter reading results so that we can help to analyse the data.
Electricity Meter Tests:
- Creep Test: Take a meter reading then turn off your power at the fuse. Wait 15 minutes and take another reading. The meter reading should not change as no energy is being used.
- Kettle Test: Take a meter reading. Boil your kettle a few times from scratch and take a second read. Your usage should be reflected by your meter reading.
Gas Meter Tests:
- Burns Test: Turn off all your gas appliances and your heating. Take a meter reading. Then turn on one gas device, say a single gas ring, and wait 10 minutes. Take a second meter reading. Your reading should change but only a little.
If these tests are proven inconclusive and, after discussing the issue with the Good Energy staff you’re still unsure, you can ask us to book a Meter Accuracy Test. What happens depends on whether the issue is with an electricity or a gas meter.
Electricity meter:
A Meter Accuracy Test is carried out by a highly skilled third-party engineer who attends the property and runs a current through the meter to assess the accuracy of the meter. If the meter is clocking too fast by more than 2.5% or too slow by more than 3.5%, the meter is deemed faulty and will be exchanged free of charge.
If the meter is not found to be faulty, the meter will remain in place, and you will be charged £147.30 for the appointment. This is the cost-price to Good Energy.
Gas meter:
The accuracy of a gas meter cannot be assessed on site so an engineer will visit the property to remove the meter and replace it. The removed meter will then be tested in a specialised lab to deem its accuracy and functionality. If the meter is deemed faulty, there are no costs to you.
If the meter is not found to be faulty, you will be charged £204 for the appointment. This is the cost-price to Good Energy.
Why your monthly cost may be higher than your initial quote
When you switch to Good Energy, we will ask you how many kWh you use in a year. You can find this figure estimated on previous bills or by asking your previous supplier. The figure is calculated based on historic meter readings for the property and updates with each new reading. The more meter readings you provide, the more accurate the estimate is.
If you cannot provide an estimate of usage, we will calculate an estimate for you based on answers to a few questions. These estimates tend to be less accurate than those listed on your bill.
With this estimate, Good Energy will provide you with a quote, estimating monthly and annual costs based on usage and tariff rates. While your tariff rates will remain fixed for however long the contract lasts, the amount charged will vary depending on your actual usage. If you use more energy than estimated, your monthly and annual charges will be higher than those quoted to you.