We periodically review your payments to check you’re not paying too much or too little. Your first payment is calculated by asking you how much energy you'll use in a year (read more about how your first payment is calculated). However, few things in life go exactly to plan, and your energy usage is no different! If you're using more or less than we first planned, we will change your payments to match.

This article will explain what we take into account when reviewing your payments.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


We look at 3 things to review your payments

1. Your estimated energy usage in kWh (units of energy)

For every meter in your property, we estimate the amount of energy that you will be using over the next 12 months. This is often called an estimated annual consumption (for electricity - abbreviated EAC) or annual quantity (for gas - abbreviated AQ). This figure is generated by independent industry validators and is based on the historic usage of the property. This figure is adjusted a few times per year, especially when you (or your smart meter) send us a meter reading.

The more meter readings we have, the more accurate this figure will be. If we haven't had a meter reading from you in a while, please make sure you have one to hand if you decide to contact us about your payments.

This figure may be an estimation, but we often find that it matches the actual usage at the end of the year, especially if we have enough meter readings. You can find your estimated energy usage on your bill.



We now know how much energy you might use in a year, but how much will that cost?

2. Your tariff (unit rates and standing charges)

How much your energy costs depends on your tariff’s unit rate and standing charge. A unit rate is the price per unit of energy (pence per kilowatt hour). A standing charge is a set price per day (pence per day), regardless of how much energy you're using. 

We take your estimated annual energy usage and multiply this by your tariff rates for the next 12 months. We do this for every meter at the property, gas and electricity. We can now say how much we expect your energy to cost you over the next 12 months.

When our ‘So Flex’ variable tariff rates are used for your review, we can only use the rates that are currently known (including government subsidies like the Energy Price Guarantee).

You can find your unit rates and standing charges on your bill (5% VAT is added on top of the figures you see below). You can also find the unit rates and standing charges displayed on your online account under "Tariffs", this time with 5% VAT already included.



We now know how much your energy will cost in a year, but what should your monthly payments be?


3. Your account balance

In addition to your expected yearly costs, we need to take into account your current account balance.


If you are in Debit

We will add the debit amount to your yearly usage cost for this calculation. This allows you to pay the debit gradually with your monthly payments.

 

If you are in Credit

Depending on the time of year, your account needs to have a minimum amount of credit on it before it can be used to lower your monthly payment. This is called your target account balance. Reviewing in this way prevents underpayment and protects your account from going into debt. It also means that you pay a consistent amount, and do not have your DD increase or decrease over the year as your balance changes with the seasons.

If you’ve got less than your target account balance, then rest assured that you’ll just pay for your expected fuel costs. If you have more, we’ll use the excess credit to reduce your monthly amount.

For a customer on equal payments the target account balance is 2 payment amounts in winter and 1 in summer.

For a customer on seasonal payments the target account balance is 1 payment amount throughout the year.

If it’s been a while since you provided meter readings, your current account balance will be based on estimates, so it might not be accurate. If that's the case, please provide us with meter readings - you should also consider getting a new smart meter installed if you are eligible!


Now that we have determined what your monthly payments should be, how will you be informed?

Your review outcome

✉ We will email you to tell you when and how we will change your payments. There will be some time before your payments change, to give you time to prepare and provide any relevant information (like meter readings). It's important that you pay the right amount for your usage so your account does not fall into debt - you can adjust your monthly payments via your online account yourself within a reasonable limit.

 

Winter FAQ's

My Direct Debit is increasing even though I'm in credit, what's the reason for this?

  • You're likely to use more energy in the winter - we account for this throughout the year, and aim to have a credit on your account coming into the winter months
  • Many customers enter winter with a noticeable credit balance. However, this can quickly be consumed in the winter months, leaving the account in debit come spring. We want to avoid this so, depending on your usage forecast we may need to increase your payments even if you are in credit at the start of winter

I received an email about my Direct Debit but the calculation doesn't include all of my credit, why is this?

  • Due to the higher usage & variance during the winter months, we set aside some of your credit as a safety net

I'm struggling to pay my bills, is there support available?

  • There is support available - click on this link to see our article