Why Is My Electricity Bill So High? 10 Checks to Make

1. Compare electricity use, not just the amount paid

Compare the billed kilowatt-hours across a similar number of days. A winter month is not comparable with summer, and 35 days will naturally cost more than 28. Allow for anyone moving in, working from home or spending longer in the property.

A monthly Direct Debit is a payment towards the account, not a live measure of that month’s electricity. An increase can include a debit balance built up when earlier payments or estimates were too low. Check the new energy charge, payments and closing balance separately.

• Compare kWh, billed days and season; separate charges from payments; check for older debt or corrections.

2. Check whether the readings are estimated

Look beside the opening and closing readings for E or the word “estimated”; suppliers may use different labels, so read the bill’s key. Compare the closing figure with the physical meter. If the estimate is too high, submit the current reading and ask the supplier to issue a corrected bill. Keep a dated photograph showing the reading and meter serial number.

An actual reading after months of low estimates can produce a catch-up charge: earlier bills were too low, rather than all the electricity being used recently. Northern Ireland’s Consumer Council likewise warns that estimates can be too high or too low.

3. Make sure the bill belongs to your meter

Match the serial number on the bill with the number printed on the electricity meter. Also check the supply address and, in Great Britain, the MPAN or supply number. A mismatch can happen after moving home, a meter exchange or an account setup error.

On a multi-rate meter, compare every register and label. Do not assume Rate 1 means day or night; confirm the mapping on the bill or with the supplier.

4. Check the unit rate, standing charge and dates

Compare the unit rate and daily standing charge with the tariff notice for that period. Prices can change when a fixed deal ends, a variable tariff changes or after a switch. Great Britain’s price cap limits default-tariff rates, not the total bill; Northern Ireland has a separate market.

If the tariff changed part-way through the statement, check the split across both sets of rates and make sure the standing charge was not counted twice for the same day.

5. Recalculate the electricity charge

Use: electricity charge = (kWh × unit rate) + (days × standing charge). Divide pence by 100 and calculate each register separately on a multi-rate tariff. Compare with the current charge, because the final balance can include debt, credit, discounts or repayments.

For example, 210 kWh at an illustrative 26p per kWh plus 30 days at 55p per day costs £71.10. If the next comparable period uses 330 kWh at the same rates, the charge is £102.30. That £31.20 increase comes from the additional 120 kWh, not a price change. Use your own tariff figures rather than these examples.

• Earlier period: (210 × £0.26) + (30 × £0.55) = £71.10.
• Later period: (330 × £0.26) + (30 × £0.55) = £102.30.
• Difference: 120 kWh × £0.26 = £31.20.

6. Look for a real change in household use

Electric heating, immersion heaters, tumble dryers, dehumidifiers, heated clothes airers, hot tubs and EV charging can add substantial use. Colder weather, guests or a new appliance can also raise kWh without a billing error.

Track daily or weekly readings rather than guessing from one bill. A smart-meter display can show when demand changes; a suitable plug-in monitor can measure an appliance’s actual kWh.

7. Check for equipment running unexpectedly

An immersion heater, faulty thermostat, portable heater, pump or second fridge can run unnoticed. Check timers, heating controls and appliances that produce heat, but do not dismantle equipment.

If safe, record the meter, switch ordinary appliances off at their controls and watch whether use slows, then restore them one at a time. If a breaker will not stay on, wiring looks damaged, or there is heat or a burning smell, stop and use a registered electrician or the appropriate emergency contact.

8. Treat a meter fault as a later check, not the first guess

Citizens Advice says meter faults are rare and a high bill is usually caused by something else. After checking dates, readings, tariff and usage, take daily readings for a week and note what was running. Contact the supplier if the meter advances when everything you can safely switch off is off, the display is blank or showing an error, or the readings behave implausibly.

The supplier can arrange testing. Ask about charges if a formal accuracy test finds no fault, photograph the meter before removal, and never break a seal, open a cover or attempt a repair.

9. Check a recent move, switch or meter exchange

A first or final bill can use a wrong opening or closing reading. Compare it with the handover photograph. A meter-exchange bill should separate the old meter’s closing reading from the new one’s opening reading.

Check that payments reached the right account. Send both suppliers the same dated evidence if a disputed bill spans a switch.

10. Challenge an unexplained high bill

Write to the supplier with the bill date, disputed amount, actual reading, meter serial number, your calculation and the resolution you want. Ask for a full explanation and a corrected bill where appropriate. Keep copies and state clearly when you are making a formal complaint. Contact the supplier promptly if the amount is unaffordable, even while it is disputed, and ask for an affordable repayment arrangement.

In Great Britain, an unresolved complaint can go to the Energy Ombudsman after eight weeks or a deadlock letter. In Northern Ireland, complain to the supplier first, then contact the Consumer Council if needed.