About BillDecoded
A free UK site that helps you work out whether an energy bill is actually wrong — and, if it is, exactly what to ask for and who to ask.
The problem this exists for
An energy bill arrives that is far bigger than expected. You are fairly sure something is wrong, but you cannot say what. So you ring the supplier and say the bill is too high, and they explain that energy prices went up, and the call ends.
That conversation goes nowhere because it has no specifics in it. Almost every problem that produces a shocking bill has a name — an estimated reading, a catch-up reconciliation, a back bill, a register mapped the wrong way round, a direct debit built on the wrong forecast — and naming it changes what happens next entirely.
What the site does
Names the problem
Guides organised by what actually happened to you, not by keyword. Each one is written to get you to a specific diagnosis, then stop.
Does the arithmetic
Calculators that run entirely in your browser. We never see the numbers you type. Current Ofgem cap rates are built in so you can sense-check against them.
Gives you the words
Complaint templates written as numbered requests, because a numbered list is much harder to answer with a paragraph of general reassurance.
Points at the right door
Supplier complaints first, then the Energy Ombudsman — free and binding on the supplier. Citizens Advice for advice. Ofgem for the rules, not for your bill.
What we cannot do
Worth being blunt about, because people occasionally write to us expecting otherwise.
| We are not | What that means |
|---|---|
| A law firm or adviser | Nothing here is legal or regulated financial advice. We describe how the rules generally work, not what will happen in your case. |
| An energy supplier, broker or switching site | We sell nothing and switch nothing. There is no product at the end of any of this. |
| The Energy Ombudsman, Ofgem or Citizens Advice | Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any of them, or to any supplier. We link to them because they are the correct route for things we cannot do. |
| Able to act for you | We cannot contact your supplier, see your account or represent you. You send the complaint; we help you make it a good one. |
How the site is paid for, and why it matters
BillDecoded is free and carries advertising. That is the whole business model, and it is the honest answer to “what is the catch”.
What follows from that is the part worth reading: there are no affiliate links in our guidance. When a page links to Ofgem, Citizens Advice, the Energy Ombudsman or a supplier, that link earns us nothing. We do not take sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links, and no advertiser has any input into what a guide says.
That is not a boast, it is a structural decision. This site's entire usefulness rests on telling you that the Ombudsman is free and that Ofgem will not look at your bill. The moment those links become revenue, the advice stops being trustworthy — and so does everything around it. So they are not. The editorial policy sets out how that is kept true.
How the guides are written
- Start from the primary source. The Ofgem supply licence conditions, GOV.UK guidance, Energy Ombudsman terms of reference and Citizens Advice. Where a page states a rule, that rule comes from one of those, and we name it — condition 21BA rather than “the 12-month rule”.
- Put real numbers in. A page that says standing charges are “significant” is not useful. One that says they are £314.74 a year at current cap rates, 17% of a typical bill, is. Figures are dated and tied to the cap period they belong to.
- Say what to do next. Every guide ends somewhere specific: a calculator, a template, a different guide, or the Ombudsman.
- Say when we do not know. Where something depends on facts we cannot see — your reading history, what the supplier can evidence — the page says so and tells you what to ask for instead of guessing.
- Date everything, and review it. Price cap pages change quarterly. Rule pages change when the rules change. Every page carries the date it was last reviewed.
Guides are produced and reviewed by BillDecoded's editorial team against the editorial policy. Corrections are welcome and they get priority over everything else — a factual error on a page about consumer rights is the worst kind to leave standing. Tell us and it will be fixed.
What is covered
| Area | Start at |
|---|---|
| High bills and how to diagnose them | Why is my bill so high |
| Meter readings, estimates and smart meter faults | Wrong meter reading |
| Back billing and catch-up bills | Back-billing rules |
| Direct debits and credit balances | Direct debit calculator |
| Rates, standing charges and the price cap | Price cap by region |
| Complaints and the Energy Ombudsman | Ombudsman process |
Coverage is Great Britain. Northern Ireland has a separate energy market with its own regulator and is not covered by the Ofgem price cap, so the rate pages do not apply there.
Getting in touch
Corrections, questions about a guide, press enquiries and data requests all go to the same place: hello@billdecoded.co.uk, or the contact form. We reply to anything that needs a reply, usually within three working days.
If your complaint is stuck with a supplier, we cannot intervene — but the Energy Ombudsman can, it is free, and its decisions bind the supplier.