Example gas bill
In the following example we take you through an Energy Australia gas bill highlighting the key sections. (Energy Australia has an interactive gas bill guide on their website. Or, if your gas is provided by Alinta Energy, you might like to check their gas bill guide.)
Page 1:
Contact details
In the top right-hand corner of page 1 you’ll find the contact details. This includes how to contact your gas retailer, plus who to contact for any gas faults.
Due date and payment amount
Below the contact details you’ll see the due date and payment amount highlighted. If your gas plan offers a ‘pay on time’ discount, this will usually be shown here as well.
Your account details
Here, you’ll find your customer number, account number and the address at which the gas meter is located. Your customer number links all of your accounts together. And the account number is the unique identifier for your gas account. If you’re calling your gas retailer, you’ll need to quote your account number.
Gas account summary
The gas account summary shows if your gas meter reading was estimated, the opening balance, last payment received, adjustments and balance carried forward. It will also show the total amount due and any discounts that you are eligible to receive.
Page 2:
Payment options
On page 2 of this example you’ll find the different ways you can pay your gas bill. This usually includes: Direct Debit, BPay, mail and by phone. It also repeats the total amount due (with any discount) and the due date.
Page 3:
Gas usage and service calculation
Like in the electricity bill example above, here you’ll see the details of your gas usage broken down. For gas bills it will show the tariff, heating value, pressure factor total usage, supply charge, and any eligible energy rebates .
Tariffs
A tariff is the rate at which you will be charged per megajoule (MJ) for gas usage. Your tariff will relate to the type of gas meter at your premises. This determines the plans or products available and the rates at which you are charged for your usage. In this example, ‘Flexi Saver’ is the tariff. The cost of natural gas may also vary depending on the season. This means, your gas retailer might have both winter and summer rates. If both winter and summer rates are applied during your meter reading period, then you may see both of these rates on your bill.
Heating value
A heating value is used to calculate the amount of megajoules (MJ) in natural gas. The heating value is impacted by the temperature and pressure at different geographical locations. Your local gas distributor supplies your gas retailer with the heating value for your area.
Pressure factor
The pressure and speed of the natural gas delivered to your premises will often vary and this is called the ‘pressure factor’. It’s based on environmental factors, such as temperature and the appliance that’s consuming the gas. The pressure factor is used to calculate your gas consumption and is supplied to your retailer by the gas distributor.
Total usage
Your total gas usage is calculated by multiplying your base usage by your area’s heating value and pressure factor.
In this example, the total usage is calculated as follows:
200 (base usage) x 33.00 (heating value) x 1.10 (pressure factor) = 7260.00 megajoules (MJ)
Supply charges
The supply charge is the cost per day (incl. GST) that is charged for providing you with gas (including the maintenance of pipes and meters). This charge will appear on your bill as long as the gas supply is connected to your property.
Gas usage comparison
Here, you’ll see a graph where you can compare your average daily gas usage for this billing period with your usage from same time last year. This example bill shows a 25% increase in usage compared to the previous year.