Our Direct Debit reviews explained

How we calculate your first Direct Debit amount

When you join us, we estimate how much energy you’ll use in a year, and what it’ll cost. To do this, we look at the size of your home and any meter readings we have for you. Then, we divide everything into 12. That’s your monthly Direct Debit.

Sending us regular meter readings is really important – from the moment you come on board. We use them to bring you accurate bills, and make sure your payments are manageable.

If we don’t have your first readings, we look at the energy use of a typical energy consumer in the UK. But this means, your actual energy use and cost might be different.

Why it's important to get Direct Debit amounts right

Life changes sometimes, and so does your energy use, so it’s important your payments keep up. This way you’ll avoid nasty bills, won’t pay more than you should, and end every year with a £0 balance.

Top tip! Our Direct Debit calculator (in your online account) can show you how changing your monthly payments can affect your balance over time.

What's a Direct Debit check-in

Simply put, it’s a Direct Debit review: a regular account health check that protects you from having to pay a lump sum at the end of each year with us.

We run the first check-in 3 months after you’ve joined us
By then, we should have received some meter readings from you. These are super important because they give us a clear picture of your energy use. This means we can make your bills spot on.

If you don’t have a smart meter, we estimate how much energy you’ll use every day – and update it the moment you send us a reading. The more often, the better.

Top tip! A smart meter will do it for you! Just book your appointment in your account, or give us a call on 0330 303 5063 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm) and we’ll book it for you.

After that, we keep them rolling every 6 months
If at any point we see that you're on course to build up a big negative balance, we’ll ask you to adjust your payments. If we don’t hear back, we’ll do it for you (always with 10 days’ notice).

It’s easy to keep a tab on your payments – every single month

We’ll always give you a heads-up if you’re paying more or less than what you’re using. You’ll see this on your bill and in your account. This way, you can either adjust your Direct Debit a little, or make a top-up payment, to get back on track quickly.

Calculating your new Direct Debit amount

With every Direct Debit check-in:

• We’ll estimate your energy use and costs for the rest of your contract

• Take into account any positive or negative balance you might have

• And divide it by your remaining months – that’ll be your new Direct Debit

Calculating your new Direct Debit amount when you renew your plan

If you’ve got 2 months left on your current plan and have already renewed it:

• We’ll estimate your energy use and costs for the next 14 months (the remaining months of your current year + the next year) 

• Take into account any positive or negative balance you might have

• And divide everything by 14 – to make payments nice and manageable for you

Getting multiple check-ins is normal and very useful

Even little things like the weather getting colder, or watching more TV than usual, can change how much energy you’re using. So checking in on your payments is a handy way to protect you from ending up with a negative balance year after year.