You will see two different amounts on your bill:

• Total amount due, which is the full cost of your bill.
• Total amount due if paid on or before (date), which is the total cost of your bill including your pay on time discount.

As long as you pay your bill before the due date, you can pay the second amount.

Your bill is issued each month or each quarter on around the approximate date you requested to be billed.  Your bill will be sent via email.

There could be several reasons why your bill was delayed. Most delays are because of issues with our billing systems or because the information on your account is either incorrect or incomplete. For example when the meter reads don’t correctly match your meter type, delays may occur.

At Discover Energy you may receive your energy bill monthly or quarterly depending on the type of meter at your property.

There are several reasons why your bill may be higher than expected – for instance, if you’ve recently been using more air-conditioning or heating, if you’ve moved to a larger house or if you’ve been spending more time at home. Check out our higher than expected bill checklist for more information.

The pay on time discount is applicable when you pay your bill in full and on time.  The discount applies to usage charges only, not the entire electricity bill. 

If you don’t have a smart meter that can be read remotely, your meter needs to be read in-person. Sometimes, the meter reader might have issues accessing your meter (for example, if you have a locked gate or a dog in the yard). In these cases, we may have to use an estimation of your energy usage. The estimate is based on your property's previous usage pattern. For those of you with meters that are hard to access, estimates mean we can keep up regular bill cycles without asking you to stay put to provide access for each scheduled reading and without you having to pay for special readings. If you’ve received an estimated bill and you don’t have a smart meter or solar power, then you can submit your own meter reading. Once we receive your reading, we’ll calculate a revised bill and send it to you. We need to arrange a meter read at least once every 12 months. If your meter hasn’t been read in the last 12 months, you will need to contact us so that we can organise a suitable time for your meter to be read.

We use data collected from a sample of our customers, across all states in which we operate, and who have been with us for at least 9 months. We have calculated the total energy costs of similar households from the hundreds of thousands of customers sampled and divided that sum by the total number of customers. Using that as a base we have calculated the approximate energy costs for similar households for each month/quarter. We then apply the rates for your zone, service charges, and any discounts which come with the plan you select. All these can differ from area to area, state to state, and in some cases even from winter to summer. The simple part is that we do all the calculating. Our aim is to provide you with an indication of what customers of similar households living in your area could expect to pay on average per month/per quarter. It should not be used as an official quote. The amount you actually pay will be based on your individual energy usage.

Your bill fluctuates throughout the year depending on your energy use and the season. Some simple explanations for a higher electricity bill include:

•Cold weather - In cold weather, most homes use more energy. Your hot water system has to work harder to heat the water, longer showers are common and you're likely to use room heaters more.

• Hot weather - In the hot weather, some households use air conditioners to cool their homes.  Every degree of extra cooling however may increase your energy consumption by approximately 5-10%. Think about the potential for savings when you set your air-conditioner at a temperature that keeps you comfortable but doesn't use unnecessary electricity. Set your air-conditioner to an energy-efficient 24°C in summer and 18°C in winter. Seal gaps and close doors, windows and curtains to cool or heat rooms quicker and keep them at a comfortable temperature for longer. 

• Changes in your household - Have additional people moved into your home? Are you spending more time at home? Do you have any new electricity appliances?

•Your account was estimated - If your meter hasn’t been read, we've had to estimate your energy use.

• There was a mistake in reading your meter - Check your current meter reading against the reading on your account.

• Your billing period may be longer than your last account - Compare this bill with one from the same period last year. Your appliances (such as your appliance on stand–by power) may have been operating while you were on holidays. If this is the case, simply switch your appliances to the vacation setting next time you go away.