Common causes of high bills
Find out the most common reasons for high consumption and how you can manage your energy consumption to save money.
The Fuel Cost Adjustment (FCA) may increase or decrease your bill. It is based on the difference between forecasted fuel prices and actual fuel prices (oil, gas and coal).
During the first half, we saw rising international energy prices and global market volatility that drove fuel costs higher, creating a significant impact on electricity bills around the world and Hong Kong is not immune.
As international fuel prices are expected to remain volatile, we will do whatever we can to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices.
Learn more about the fuel cost adjustments.
Estimated bills
We issue estimated bills when we cannot access your meter.
If the letter “E” is marked on top of the bar of the chart, it means the consumption of that month is calculated based on estimated meter reading.
We base our estimation on your usage during the same period last year. If you can access your meter safely, you may provide a self-meter reading to avoid estimated bills.
Estimated bills do not include Energy Saving Rebates. This is because the rebate requires actual meter readings. We will reflect the rebate in your adjusted bill instead.
Amended bills
We issue amended bills when we can access your meter again following a delay. Amended bills revise your estimated bill amount based on the latest actual reading.
If the letter “A” is marked on top of the bar of the chart and “Amended Bill” is printed above the “Total Amount” box, it means the consumption and tariff amount have been adjusted.
An amended bill should be for the same billing period as the previous estimated bill.
Please be assured that the amended bill has already taken into account all your previous payments. Therefore, the outstanding amount – if any – is the actual amount due for payment. If customers make excess payments, it will be reflected as credit in the amended bill.
The original bar code will be replaced by a statement to let you know that no payment is required, and that the billed amount is already included in the current regular bill.
In your current regular bill, you will find ‘Please pay the bill’ printed above the ‘Total Amount’ box. You may pay this total amount to settle your bill.
Adjusted bills
We issue adjusted bills when we can access your meter again. Adjusted bills show the difference between your estimated bill amount and the actual bill amount.
If the letter “A” is marked on top of the bar of the chart and “Adjusted Bill” is printed above the “Total Amount” box, it means the consumption and tariff amount have been adjusted.
An adjusted bill will cover the period of the previous estimated bill, as well as the current bill.
Please be assured that this adjusted bill has already taken into account all your previous payments. Therefore, the outstanding amount – if any – is the actual amount due for payment. If customers make excess payments, it will be reflected as credit in the adjusted bill.
What is the difference between an amended bill and an adjusted bill?
An amended bill should be for the same billing period as the previous estimated bill. You may also receive a current regular bill with it in the same envelope. Usually, a residential or non-residential customer will receive an amended bill when a meter reading is obtained following an earlier bill based on an estimate.
An adjusted bill will cover the period of the previous estimated bill, as well as the current bill. Any customer with Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rates or a customised bill (e.g. a group bill) may receive one adjusted bill.
Amended bill example:
Estimated bill period: 17-12-21 to 12-01-22
Access meter reading: 16-02-22
Amended bill period: 17-12-21 to 12-01-22
Current regular bill period: 13-01-22 to 16-02-22
Received number of bills after adjustment: Two
Adjusted bill example:
Estimated bill period: 14-12-2021 to 16-01-2022
Access meter reading: 16-02-2022
Adjusted bill period: 14-12-2021 to 16-02-2022
Received number of bills after adjustment: One
Your bill may be higher if it was carried forward from previous months. This may happen due to late payment or partial payment. You can check if your bill was carried forward by looking for notes under your bill's total amount and bar chart.
If you do not have your previous bills on-hand, you may get a copy of your bill.
