A simple guide to your energy bill
This walks through a Termina invoice, line by line, in the order it is printed. By the end you will be able to find a charge, check what is due and when, and see where our share sits.
Holding a bill from your retailer instead? That is normal while a switch goes through, and you will usually get both for one period. There is more on that below.
If something still does not add up, send the invoice to support@termina.io and we will read it with you.
Start here
Three things account for almost every question we get about an invoice.
What you owe, and when
Amount due is the total for this billing period, including GST. Due by is the date to pay it. Both sit in the tax invoice summary near the top.
What you are charged for
The charge details table splits the bill into the energy you used, the daily supply charge, and network costs. Each row shows a price, a quantity and a total.
Where our share sits
We only earn when we save you money, and the saving is split with you. On most accounts our share is already inside the rates on the invoice, so there is no separate line for it. On some accounts it is shown as its own line. Either way the total due is the total.
Your invoice, in the order it is printed
Put your invoice next to this and work down. Each heading below is the label printed on the document.
Who the invoice is from, and who it is for
The top of the invoice carries your business name and address, and then ours: the company name, the ABN, and how to reach us if something looks wrong. If the business name or address is out of date, email support@termina.io and we will correct it.
Number summary
The block of reference numbers near the top. These are what we will ask you for if you get in touch.
A sample invoice. Your own numbers will differ.
- Invoice number: the unique reference for this invoice. Quote it in any query.
- Meter number: the identifier for the meter at the supply address.
- Bill period: the dates the usage on this invoice was measured between. Worth checking first if an amount surprises you.
- Billing days: how many days this invoice covers. A longer period means a larger bill for the same daily usage.
- ID: your NMI in Australia, or ICP in New Zealand. It identifies the connection point itself, not the meter, and it stays with the premises.
Tax invoice summary
The money summary. If you only read one block, read this one.
- Amount due: the total payable for this period, including GST.
- Due by: the date to pay by.
- Issue date: the date the invoice was generated. This is not the same as the bill period, which is a common mix-up.
- Opening and closing credit: any balance carried in from last time, and any credit applied this time.
- New charges, including GST: the charges for this period on their own.
- GST component: the GST inside the total.
- Total due: the final figure after credits, charges and GST.
Charge details
The line-by-line breakdown. Rows fall into three families: the energy you used, the daily supply charge for being connected, and network and environmental costs passed through from your distributor.
A sample invoice. Your own rows and rates will differ.
- Charge type: what the row is for.
- Period: the dates that row covers.
- Read: how the usage was obtained. A is an actual meter read, E is estimated, S is substituted, and F is a final substitute. Anything other than A is worth a look if the amount seems high.
- Price: the rate. Usage rows are priced per kWh, supply rows per day.
- Quantity: kWh used, or the number of days.
- GST and total: the GST on that row, and the row total including it.
Payments
You can pay by direct debit so it happens automatically, transfer manually to the account shown on the invoice, or use the credit card link printed on it. To set up direct debit, email support@termina.io.
If something still does not look right
Send the invoice to support@termina.io and we will read it with you. It helps to say which line you are asking about. You can also see your invoices, usage and savings any time in your dashboard.
Come to us for
- Anything on a Termina invoice: a charge, the bill period, the amount due, or a credit
- Getting bills from both us and your retailer, which is normal while a switch goes through
- Setting up direct debit, or changing the email your invoices go to
- Adding a site, or moving out of one
Goes to your retailer or distributor
- An outage, a fault, or anything about safety
- A disconnection or reconnection
- A meter fault, a meter exchange, or a special read
We can raise a read or a correction with them on your behalf, so send it to us if you are not sure which side it belongs to.
Frequently Asked Questions
A broker is paid a commission by the retailer that wins your contract, so their incentive sits with the retailer. Termina takes no retailer commission. We tender the whole energy market, recommend the genuinely lowest rate, and are paid only from a share of what we save you.
We act as the authorised representative on behalf of your business. So we can make changes to the energy accounts after you give us consent. We will never make any changes to the accounts unless we have your explicit confirmation.
All you do is send your latest bills and we do the rest. We do all the switching, zero work is required from you. Just one supplier that gives you the best price every month.
Once we link with your account, we let you know that there's a cheaper rate available for your property. We then make the switch for you so you have peace of mind that you're always on the best rate.
No! Unlike comparison sites, our software works across the whole market and Termina is not paid by retailers so you are getting the genuine best rates on the market. Instead, we make money from a portion of your savings so we're motivated to always save you more.
Termina will send you one simple invoice every month which will ensure your electricity supply and our monthly 'review and switch' service to maximise your savings and keep electricity costs as low as possible. You can choose a monthly invoice or automatic direct debit, which some retailers offer discounts for.
No, all the small business plans have no lock-in so you can stop the service or change retailer any time. We guarantee the best price so if you find a better one let us know and we'll move you straight across!
No, your energy supply will never be impacted when moving accounts.
If you reach out to our support team at support@termina.io or use the online app you can easily do both of these in a few clicks.