I can see clearly now the bill has come!

Dual Fuel

This means you get both your electricity and gas from the same company. Single fuel means you get either gas or electricity from just one supplier.

kWh

A kWh (kilowatt hour) is how energy is measured. It is the amount of energy you would use if you kept a 1,000 watt appliance (such as a small hairdryer) on for an hour. kWH is the standard measurement in all energy bills, whether they’re for gas, electricity or renewable energy like solar power.

Tariff

Your tariff is the package you have signed up to with your energy company. It is how much an energy company charges you for your gas and or/electricity. Energy suppliers offer different packages which will cost different amounts. The two main types of tariff are called fixed rate and variable.

A fixed rate tariff charges you a set rate for energy.

On a variable tariff, the costs per unit of energy can vary. So if your energy supplier has to pay more or less money for energy on the wholesale market, they might want to change your energy rates as well.

Unit rate

This is how much you pay for every kWh of energy you use. A kWh (kilowatt hour) is how energy is measured. It is the amount of energy you would use if you kept a 1,000 watt appliance (such as a small hairdryer) on for an hour.

Standing charge

The amount you pay a company to provide you with energy. A standing charge is a fixed daily amount you need to pay no matter how much energy you use. It pays for things like maintenance work and getting gas and electricity to your home. The amount of energy you use is an extra cost.

VAT

VAT (Value Added Tax) is a type of sales tax which is added to your energy bill and paid to the government. It is a tax that is added onto the price of certain goods and services such as energy bills.