Minimum content of a bill?

smellymel74

Hi all. 

I don’t receive a gas or electric bill in the way most residential customers do - rather I have to log into an online portal that displays my usage and, with no breakdown or explanation of how it’s worked out, displays what I owe. I’m not happy about this (for understandable reasons I think).

It may seem like an obvious question but does anyone know if I have a legal right to receive a bill with a breakdown of charges for my utilities? Not necessarily a paper one but something that shows what I’m being charged?  And if so, could you point me in the direction of the relevant legislation please.

Also, I’ve been given 2 options by my landlord of finding out my usage or what I owe - I can only go online to check or call the company that manages my meter. I’m elderly and my eyesight isn’t great and my understanding of the internet is basic. I’d really like a bill in paper form, ideally that breaks down each of the charges so I can understand what I’m using and what I’m being charged for usage/standing charge etc.

does anyone know if I can insist on a paper bill? And if so if it has to contain certain minimum information? I’m thinking the equalities act might apply to getting a bill in an alternative format but I’m not certain, and I can’t find any info on minimum content standards for gas/electric bills.

my landlord is my energy supplier and he’s classed as an energy re-seller so I can’t go to ofgem to complain as he falls outside their usual ombudsman process - I’ve already asked them. 

TIA

Robin9

As regards to content I think "To the provision of Utilities 1/1/2022 to 11/11/2022 inc Vat" is sufficient.

wild666

If you know the prices per kWh and SC's including VAT then it's easy to just work out your usage each month. That's what I do with mine but they do give a full breakdown of the charges then add VAT at the end of each utility.

tacpot12

I'm not sure that there is a statue that covers this. My guess is that it would be covered under common law, i.e. the law that is established by previous cases. I believe that it is well founded principle in common law that no-one is required to pay a bill if that bill is not precise about what they are being charged for. A judge would not order you to pay a vague bill.  

I suggest that you write to your landlord and say that the bills don't have enough information on them and you want to know how they calculate the bill to be shown on every bill, and that you won't pay until they do this. I expect that they will continue to send bills in the old format while they consider your request, and consider taking you to court. You should put the amount of each bill to one side in a savings account (or premium bonds) until the matter is resolved. I don't think it is unreasonable to refuse to pay. 

According to this webpage, the landlord can only charge you for electricity and gas you have actually used, which means they either need a meter reading OR a reasonably accurate way to estimate what you have used.  It also confirms that you can only be charged for the fuel you have used, a proportion of the standing charges levied on the landlord, and VAT : What your landlord can charge you for energy - Citizens Advice

You can ask for a paper bill as a reasonable adjustment to your poor eyesight, but they don't have to do this if there is a cheaper option. They have to make some reasonable adjustment for you, not to do so would contravene the Equality Act 2010. If you access the bill currently using a web browser, the browser will have features to make the text larger. This might be a 'zoom in' feature, or a feature to set the default text size to be larger. If using such a feature makes the website difficult to use, you can and should ask the landlord to change the website. They have a choice - make the website functional or provide a large print paper bill, they can't do nothing if you can't read the bills currently. 

smellymel74

tacpot12 said:

I'm not sure that there is a statue that covers this. My guess is that it would be covered under common law, i.e. the law that is established by previous cases. I believe that it is well founded principle in common law that no-one is required to pay a bill if that bill is not precise about what they are being charged for. A judge would not order you to pay a vague bill.  

I suggest that you write to your landlord and say that the bills don't have enough information on them and you want to know how they calculate the bill to be shown on every bill, and that you won't pay until they do this. I expect that they will continue to send bills in the old format while they consider your request, and consider taking you to court. You should put the amount of each bill to one side in a savings account (or premium bonds) until the matter is resolved. I don't think it is unreasonable to refuse to pay. 

According to this webpage, the landlord can only charge you for electricity and gas you have actually used, which means they either need a meter reading OR a reasonably accurate way to estimate what you have used.  It also confirms that you can only be charged for the fuel you have used, a proportion of the standing charges levied on the landlord, and VAT : What your landlord can charge you for energy - Citizens Advice

You can ask for a paper bill as a reasonable adjustment to your poor eyesight, but they don't have to do this if there is a cheaper option. They have to make some reasonable adjustment for you, not to do so would contravene the Equality Act 2010. If you access the bill currently using a web browser, the browser will have features to make the text larger. This might be a 'zoom in' feature, or a feature to set the default text size to be larger. If using such a feature makes the website difficult to use, you can and should ask the landlord to change the website. They have a choice - make the website functional or provide a large print paper bill, they can't do nothing if you can't read the bills currently. 

Thanks so much tacpot12 - that’s really helpful! I have asked my landlord for a breakdown of the bill but he says that’s the responsibility of the metering company so not his problem. I don’t believe this as my contract says the landlord is my supplier, not the metering company, so I may take this further as I agree it’s only reasonable to know what you’re paying. 

Good point about reasonable adjustments too. Ultimately having an online bill would suffice so long as I could read it well and it was clear what I’m paying for (ie: it was a bill rather than an online account showing my usage and a flat charge, which is what I get now). It does mean I have to have the internet though and I don’t believe that’s a requirement for anyone so I feel as though there must be something somewhere to allow for paper provision of bills - I just can’t find it. 

MWT

grn99 said:

In terms of legislation this may go someway towards what you are after(?) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1648/made I haven't read the entire thing but the excerpt below may be of assitance. 

21B.7	Where a Customer requests an explanation of how their Bill or statement of account was derived the licensee must comply with that request in plain and intelligible language.

That only covers those with a supply license, which is not the case for a landlord reselling energy.

grn99

MWT said:

grn99 said:

In terms of legislation this may go someway towards what you are after(?) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1648/made I haven't read the entire thing but the excerpt below may be of assitance. 

21B.7	Where a Customer requests an explanation of how their Bill or statement of account was derived the licensee must comply with that request in plain and intelligible language.

That only covers those with a supply license, which is not the case for a landlord reselling energy.

apologies, post withdrawn.

ariarnia

i think its still useful to have and maybe reference as 'what you would expect'. 

maybe this is the same kind of thing tho 'a clear description of what you’re charging for' and 'the amount(s) being charged' and 'the total amount owed' as three differnt things. 

https://www.gov.uk/invoicing-and-taking-payment-from-customers/invoices-what-they-must-include