Business energy bill questions
A business energy bill is a unit rate, a standing charge, a set of network and policy costs, the Climate Change Levy and VAT. Most bill shocks come from one of those parts rather than from using more energy. The answers below tell you which part to look at first.
Last reviewed 2 September 2026 by Utilities Made Simple · independent, whole-of-market, supplier-paid — how we are paid
7 answers in this section
- Why has my business electricity bill gone up when my usage hasn't?Almost always one of five things: your contract ended and you dropped onto default rates, the standing charge rose, network or policy costs were rebased in April, a bill was estimated...
- What are DUoS and TUoS charges on a business electricity bill?They are network charges.
- My business energy bill is estimated — how do I get it corrected?Take a photograph of the meter showing the reading and the serial number, send it to the supplier and ask for the account to be rebilled from the last actual read.
- What is a reactive power charge on my electricity bill?It is a charge for drawing more reactive power than your site's active power consumption justifies — in practice, a penalty for poor power factor.
- Can I get a refund if my business has been overcharged for energy?Yes, and the claim is often larger than people expect.
- What is a reconciliation or settlement charge on my energy bill?It is an after-the-fact adjustment.
- Why am I paying a standing charge when the premises are empty?Because the standing charge pays for the connection, not the energy.
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