Frequently Asked Questions

Below, we’ve put together the most frequently asked questions surrounding electricity bill calculations:

Q: What is a kilowatt and a kilowatt hour?
A: A kilowatt (KW) is 1,000 watts of electricity. A kilowatt hour (KWh) is 1,000 watts of electricity consumed for 1 hour. So when you see 50KWh for example, this is equal to 1,000 watts for 50 hours OR 50,000 watts for 1 hour.

Q: What is a ‘unit’ of electricity?
A: A unit of electricity is 1 kilowatt hour (1 KWh).

Q: How do I know my unit rates?
A: You should find all your rates printed on your bill. You can also find out which tariff you are on and see the unit rates on your suppliers website.

Q: What is ‘billing period’, ‘billing days’ and 'usage period'?
A: Your billing period and billing days are the difference between your last bill and most recent calculation. Electricity bills are usually calculated on a quarterly basis but your bill will also state the billing period.