One in five energy bills are incorrect, says Energy Action

How often do you check your energy bill? As many as one in five energy bills are incorrect, says Energy Action, and with 13% of users being overcharged, it’s worth double-checking for discrepancies.

“Businesses wouldn't pay a phone bill without checking its accuracy, and energy bills should be no different,” said Valerie Duncan, CEO of Energy Action. “But the reality is that a lot of energy bills are paid without ever being validated. Checking an energy bill is virtually impossible without expert help.”

To help businesses with their energy bills, Energy Action has launched Activ8, an energy monitoring and bill validation service.

The company makes five suggestions for businesses:

1. Get to know your bill using the Energy Action online guide.
2. Check your charges. Get an expert to check your bills: an energy management company can independently check charges and advise where savings can be made.
3. Review network tariffs. Switching tariffs can result in significant savings as network charges make up a large part of an organisation’s energy bills.
4. Think about use. Try to spread energy use across the day to avoid high demand and capacity charges.
5. Identify opportunities for energy efficiency. Consider educating staff on reducing electricity use, creating an energy policy and upgrading lights. There are also schemes and grants to help businesses implement energy-efficiency improvements.

“Checking your bill is just the first step in making cost savings. Most organisations can also find other quick-win efficiencies and organisations spending more than $20,000 per annum should consider securing future energy rates by negotiating a forward contract,” said Duncan. “Businesses should also be looking at ways they can become more energy efficient in the long term to bring down costs and help the environment.”