Understanding your bill
Your bill, or statements, will come from the relevant power distribution company within your region who actually delivers your gas or electricity. This will be Southern Electric if you live anywhere in England, SWALEC if you are in Wales or Scottish HydroElectric if you live in Scotland.
Your bill will bear that company’s logo and information, but will also carry the EquiGas or EquiPower logo and indicate clearly that you are on the EquiGas or EquiPower tariff.
Ebico adjustments to standard billing systems
While our unique flat rate is fairer to all users, it’s very different from the standard tariffs of most other suppliers, who offer different deals for different types of customer. At the same time, our flat rate has to be processed through the standard computerised or meter systems of our supply partners, which are usually designed for their different approach.
As a result, sometimes billing processes may seem circuitous. See below for how we ensure correct adjustments to established billing systems.
Example 1 – pre-payment electricity meters
Most types of pre-payment electricity meters were designed before customers were enabled by law to buy their electricity from whichever supplier they chose. As a result, some meters are designed to charge customers one of only a few different energy (kWh) rates. Some have also got a standing charge system built in, as that was standard procedure when they were designed.
When a customer who uses a pre-payment electricity meter switches to Ebico, we check first if that meter can have its standing charge removed and the correct tariff applied. If not, Ebico uses the following method to correct the rate:
- their meter is set to charge at the nearest ‘standard’ rate it offers
- we then credit the customer with the standing charge
- we also credit the customer with the difference between the EquiPower rate and the rate the meter is charging, so as to ensure the correct financial outcome for the customer.
The watt hour (Wh) is a unit of energy. It describes both a power requirement (W) and the hours over which that power is used (h).
• For example: a 100W traditional filament bulb used for one hour would use the same amount of energy as a 10W energy-saving light bulb used over ten hours.
Household energy is usually measured in the kilowatt hour (kWh), which is 1,000 watt hours.
• One kWh is the energy used by a single bar heater in one hour.
• The energy usage of the average UK home in one month is several hundred kilowatt hours.
We haven’t been able to find a better way to address the standard meter set-up so far. However, we continue to look into ways of clarifying this process further – and meanwhile you’re sure of a fair, cheaper rate with our tariff.
Read more about using your gas or electricity pre-payment meters.
Example 2 – direct debit
In certain circumstances, our partner companies’ computerised billing procedures automatically deduct a percentage from the bill for direct debit payment. But as you know, we don’t make reductions for those paying direct debit, because our customers all pay at the same rate.
In these circumstances, Ebico adjust the bill by adding a percentage to the rate first, so that when the deduction is made it comes out at the correct EquiGas or EquiPower rate.
Don't worry if you get a bill that shows a Direct Debit Discount or a standing charge – it’s just a an inbuilt feature of the computer system used by some suppliers.
We always adjust the figures to make sure that you are charged the right amount.
(Figures shown here are not indicative of current prices.)
For instance:
If the current EquiGas rate is 2.55p per kWh including VAT
and you pay by monthly direct debit
your bill would actually give the price as 2.59p/kWh excluding VAT.
Then when you add the 5% VAT
and deduct the 6% direct debit discount
the price comes back to 2.55p/kWh – which is the EquiGas rate, including VAT.
Naturally a bill, like the one above, that appears at first glance to make a reduction for direct debit payers can appear confusing, but the price will be right – and we’re working to remove this oddity.
As Ebico was established first and foremost to provide fair rates, it’s an absolute priority to us to make sure you are fairly and accurately billed!
Want to double check?
Should you want further reassurance, you can check your latest bill by simply picking out the number of kWh you used and multiplying it by the relevant Equigas or Equipower tariff currently displayed on our website at the cost of EquiGas or the cost of EquiPower.
Be assured that as Ebico was established first and foremost to provide fair rates, it’s an absolute priority to us to make sure you are fairly and accurately billed!