General Usage Next

[sarahkate]

I recently received my latest bill or last bill rather before moving.

I have been paying monthly for a number of years and now see there is a charge on my bill for general usage next. This amount is $160!!! What is this charge considering i am moving and pay monthly.

[PaulC]

Well, AGL have no idea what "General Usage Next" is either. I just spoke with one of their representatives who has been working there for 7 years. He explained every retailer applies a certain amount of kWh per year to a customer as a block of kWh. This is what is termed a General Usage block. In my case, for the company I work for, the total block is 4900 kWh. That amount is divided by 365 to get a daily block amount. Your bill then shows the General Usage amount as the number of days in the period your bill covers multiplied by the daily block amount of kWh.

Each premises might be different as to how big of a block for General Usage is assigned to them. One customer might be given 3800 kWh per year, another might be given 5300 kWh per year, it depends on the industry and the retailer. Why the energy retailers do this is beyond the knowledge of the representative I spoke with. 

A Whirlpool forum user suggested that having "General usage" and "General usage next" on the bill "Sounds like stepped usage the distributor maybe charging AGL but AGL chooses not to bill extra for the next step". 

I think this is more than likely the case. Distributors provide a block of kWh of electricity to a retailer at a set wholesale price. Usage above that amount is charged at a higher wholesale price. The fact that AGL is charging customers the same retail price per kWh, suggests that they are either not passing on the difference in wholesale prices for the extra usage, or more likely that their retail price is based on the higher wholesale price the distributor charges them, and they make a little more profit on the General Usage block amounts charged. 

[HighEnergyBad]

Hi,

I got the General usage and General usage next charged at the same rate ($0.348) as well.

But what I can't work out is my usage for 31 days should be 238.9KWH and not 331KWH + 221.9KWH?

I hate AGL so much.

[NeilC]

@HighEnergyBad 

Don't know about your maths.

You estimated a reading on the 18th July they estimated a reading on the 16th August.

On your bill it states

What AGL provided was your info and an updated bill.

I note that you supplied data on the 18th which they have appeared to take as an actual reading.

To which they supplied the usage and cost since the last meter read and then added the estimated read up to the 16th.

This works out to be around 17kWh a day for the period 18th July - 16th August.

Also note the dishonoured payment as well.

Do you have a dog or a locked gate that does not allow the meter reader access to the yard.

Why not ask for a SMART METER so that you can get correct reads.

Why don't you send a meter read in every day and read the meter at the same time each day for a month.

If you keep getting dishonoured payments, you will get lower credit scores..

[NeilC]

@PaulC 

Maybe you need to look at your (Companies) plan.

It might say something like first 5000kWh @ 35c then 40c per kWh next.

But it may say 5000kWh @ 35c then 35c Next.

There fore the General Usage NEXT means that you have gone over the 5000kWh

[PaulC]

@NeilC 

Nope. Same rate for General and General Usage Next, both were 26.5c per kWh. (The description appears in both line items just like on the bill as posted by @HighEnergyBad)

As I said, AGL representative couldn't explain it, other than what I wrote. Best explanation is along the lines of the distributor charging AGL at one rate for the General block, and then a different rate for everything over that. But AGL choose not to pass on the difference. Hence, both General and General Next on our bill are at the exact same rate.

Cheers,
Paul

[PaulC]

@NeilC I just reread your post. Yes, I understand General Usage Next means we have gone over our allotted General Usage amount, based on that billing cycle. The block, lets say 5000kwh, is divided by 365, then that amount becomes our daily general usage allotment. Any amount over that daily amount for the billing cycle becomes General Usage Next. Our concern was WHY we are being charged at the SAME rate for the General Usage Next. AGL Representative had no idea. It seems AGL just choose to not charge us more for the Next usage. 

Cheers,
Paul 

[HighEnergyBad]

Hi Neil,

Do you know why during the 17Jul-16Aug period. AGL charged 331kwh + 221.9kwh for a total of 552.9khw. However, according to my own ledger on the 18th July the meter read's 39434.8 and on 19th August the meter read's 39763.

So (39763 - 39434.8)/32days to work out the daily usage (10.25kwh). Then 10.25 x 31 = 317.9kwh and its no where near the 552.9khw figure. Any ideas?

Thanks

[Gwg]

I just paid $625 for general usage next.  Why and how is it calculated? I am from qld

[Lumino]

I think the 'General Usage - Next' is a gas thing as I can see it on my latest bill.  I am having trouble understanding why the cut off point for 'General Usage' changed from 1885Mj (before it then gets charged at the lower 'General Usage - Next' rate) in my last gas bill (July-October 23) to 1947Mj for my current bill (Oct 23 - Jan 24). 

That equates to an effective rate increase (there was also one in the Jul-Oct 23 period) and I don't remember getting any advice to say there would be another effective rate rise in the latest period.