- How to use a Spreadsheet Program.pdf: If you are not sure how to use a spreadsheet programthen this will tell you all you need to know.
- I need help.pdf: Are you having a problem with a program.
- Things you need to know.pdf: How do I find the Things I need to do before I start this program (open in Microsoft Works)(Text information).
- Your questions and answers.pdf : Answers to some of your questions.
There are two programs available to you
CHECK AND COMPARE YOUR GAS AND ELECTRIC BILL
CONTROL YOUR OWN GAS AND ELECTRIC BILLS
Before you start do you know what your tariff rates are and whether you are on a (standard rate plus a price
per kw) or (first rate
at a high price plus a lower rate for all over a set annual amount),
if you are not familiar with these then download and
print the form click here
Things you need to know.
I would suggest you start with (CHECK AND COMPARE YOUR GAS AND ELECTRIC BILL) this small program will not only let you see if your bill is correct but you will be able to check how much it is costing you over any period of time also you can use it to compare other suppliers prices.
The control your own gas and electric program uses the same information but gives you the means of recording all your monthly readings,
When you download a program then do a (Save as) to your documents and give it a name that you will remember, Also I would suggest that if you right click on the progam file this will give you the option to create a short cut to your desktop for easy access.
Now start by entering the rates accordingly in the boxes that apply you need to see that entries are based annually so, if for example your are on a standard charge and this quoted as a monthly figure you will need to times it by 12, the same applies to where a first number of kilowatts used could be quoted as say 670 for a quarter then times it by 4 to enter 2680 for the year.
You will see that the program asks for rates less VAT, most suppliers have taken it on to only show prices including VAT which is incorrect if you have discounts to take off so, if you have discounts deduct 4.719% from there prices, if you have no discounts then you can enter the inclusive prices but change the 5% to 0 in the VAT box.
Were you are asked for calorific value if you cannot find this on your bill then just enter 40 it will only make a slight difference to
your final costs and it can vary over the year but make sure you enter in the right box according to your gas meter Metric or Cubic Feet
Now that you have your prices entered
take your first meter reading and enter then your last meter reading
and enter below it,
add all the days for the period of your bill and enter.
You should now be able to see the total kilowatts used and the cost of gas and electric also in the blue section the cost per kilowatt and cost per unit of gas.
Make sure to save your program.
Now if you wish to check other suppliers rates against yours then go to a comparison site note the rates quoted - (click on the section that gives extra information to find this) and change the entries in your program and write down the total costs then close your program without saving so that it restores you previous entries, you will now be able to see the difference between both suppliers
CONTROL YOUR OWN GAS AND ELECTRIC BILLS
This program will help you to check your gas and electric bill, and also work out Kilowatts, units and rates automatically so that you can see your costs each month.
the cell you want to enter, which are all in the green sections, type in the amount and press the
Stage 2:
You are now complete, just enter reading monthly and if possible on the last day of each month, unless you know a date your supplier uses then you could change the days section to suit so that your future bills will match.
Do a save as in a new name, take note of your account balances then enter your new rates and go to your adjustments to renew your balances, the amount you are changing them by is the increase you can expect for a similar period.
There may be some slight difference in matching your supplier’s bill to your records due to rounding off decimal places and in the case of gas your supplier may change
the Calorific value during the year or the bill dates are different to yours. Or of course they could have got your bill wrong.
Can I check how much it is costing me say for a week:
If you want to check the amount of Kwhs or the cost for say 1day then in the current month make sure you have a meter reading in for the month then note the kwhs used
and the cost for the month then next day at the same time enter your new reading this will give you the difference in cost and kwhs for the day, or hour or week as you
wish.
Can I check if I can get a better price from another supplier:
If you want to check another supplier’s rates against yours, make sure you have saved your program first then change the your entries to match the other supplier, write
down their monthly costs, and note the balances close your program without saving it, this will restore your original settings.
Bill Wright