Smart Meter - Energy Cost Calculator

Unless you have a smart meter installed, keeping your energy supplier updated with regular meter readings is the only way to make sure you're being billed correctly.

But energy suppliers can still make mistakes, so it helps to keep on top of your usage and costs to make sure you're only being billed for the energy you're using.

That's where our energy cost calculator can help out. Simply select your calculator below to work out:

• How much gas or electricity you have used
• How much your energy is going to cost you
• Your average consumption per day

Gas Cost Calculator   Electricity Cost Calculator

Why use an energy cost calculator?

Estimated energy bills aren’t ideal. If your supplier has to essentially guess how much energy you’re using then there’s a risk that you’ll be overcharged or undercharged for your gas and electricity. And both can have serious consequences for your personal finances:

If you’re being overcharged, you could find yourself unnecessarily out of pocket each month. If you’re being undercharged, you could be hit with an unexpectedly large bill one month, to make up the shortfall in payments.

This is why it’s important to keep on top of your energy usage and know how much you should be paying each month, particularly if you don’t have a smart meter and need to give your supplier a meter reading each month.

How is estimated energy use calculated?

When estimating your energy use, suppliers will look at the size of your house and base your usage figures on the following industry figures:

• 1 or 2 bedroom house/flat - gas usage of 8,000kWh and an electricity usage of 1,800kWh
• 3 or 4 bedroom house - gas usage of 12,000kWh and an electricity usage of 2,900kWh
• 5+ bedroom house - gas usage of 17,000kWh and an electricity usage of 4,300kWh

What is a small house or flat?

Your household is considered a small house or flat if:

• You use 1,800kWh of electricity and 8,000kWh of gas or less.
• There are one to two people living at your property.
• You’re both employed full time and spend little time at home.
• The heating is used occasionally, washing machine once a week and you don’t have a dishwasher or tumble dryer.

What is a medium-sized property?

Your household is considered a medium house if:

• You use 2,900kWh of electricity and 12,000kWh of gas.
• There are three to four people living at your property.
• You’re all at work or school in the daytime, but home in the evening.
• The washing machine and heating are used a few times a week and the dishwasher is used occasionally.
• The TV and electrical appliances are used in the evening.

What is a large property?

Your household is considered a large house if:

• You use 4,300kWh of electricity and 17,000kWh of gas or more.
• There are four to five – or more – people living at your house.
• You’re all regularly at home for evenings and weekends.
• The washing machine is used nearly every day, the heating is on regularly, the dishwasher is used regularly, the tumble dryer is used regularly and multiple TVs and electrical appliances are used regularly.

The cost of your energy bills will also be affected by the part of the country you live and the way you pay your bills. Rural properties, for instance, often pay more for energy simply because it costs more to transport energy to remote locations. And paying your bills via Direct Debit is usually the cheapest way to pay, while prepayment meters often charge the most expensive rates.

What you need to use our energy cost calculator?

To get the best out of our energy costs calculator, it will help to have a copy of your last two energy bills to hand, as this will have all the information you need, including:

• The name of your supplier
• The name of your tariff
• Your last two meter readings

If you want to know the cost of the gas or electricity you've used over a certain time period - the last fortnight, for instance - simply take a meter reading on the first date of the period you're measuring and then another on the last date.

Then simply enter the two dates and two readings and hit 'Calculate'

How to compare energy prices

If you would like to compare energy prices, you can do so in minutes with UKPower’s energy price comparison tool - it’s the quickest and simplest way to switch energy suppliers.

Using our free energy comparison service means you don’t have the hassle of giving your details to each individual supplier to compare prices. Instead, you only need to give us your details and we’ll compare energy tariffs from a wide range of suppliers to find the best one to suit your needs.

You can switch energy suppliers in three simple steps with UKPower:

1. Enter your postcode in the box at the top of the page, then give us a few more details on your current supplier and usage.
2. We’ll show you the best energy quote from a wide range of providers, including the Big Six and the smaller suppliers.
3. You choose the deal that’s best for you, and we’ll take care of the rest of the switch.

The more information you can give us, the more accurately we can quote you, it helps if you can check your latest gas and electricity bills to find out exactly how much gas and electricity you use. If you don’t have this information to hand, we can still find energy comparison rates based up on the size and type of house you live in.

Our online energy comparison tool is available 24 hours a day, but if you’d sooner speak to one of our energy experts and compare rates over the phone, give us a call on 0800 320 2000. Lines are open at the following times:

• Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm
• Saturday 8am - 6pm
• Sunday 10am - 4pm

Once you’ve chosen the deal you like best, we’ll let your old supplier know you’re leaving and inform your new supplier that you’ll be joining them. All you then need to do is give your old supplier a final meter reading, so they can give you an accurate final bill, and let your new supplier know your opening meter reading with them.

The whole switch should be completed within 21 days, which includes a 14-day cooling off period during which time you can cancel the switch without having to pay any exit fee. And the gas and electricity will be supplied through the existing pipes and cables, meaning there’s no need for any digging or drilling at your property.