Energy terms explained

A back-bill is a ‘catch-up’ bill sent to you by your gas or electricity supplier when you haven’t been correctly charged for your energy use. Back-bills can be for any amount but there is a principle in place defining when and for how far back your supplier can charge you.

For more information see our Back-billing leaflet.

A factor that may limit a firm’s ability to enter the market.

A factor that may limit a firm’s ability to increase in size.

Any form of payment, saving, rebate benefit or reward that is in any way linked to a Domestic Energy Supply Product, and which involves the provision of any goods or services which do not relate to energy supply. One example is a supermarket voucher.

An opt in bundle for the purpose of this proposal is when consumers can add on additional services/products to their energy offering.

A tied bundle for the purpose of this proposal is a form of pure bundling where it is tied/mandatory to buy the entire bundle to receive all the products and services offered, ie the specific energy offering is only available with this particular bundled form.

An opt out bundle for the purpose of this proposal is a when a consumer is presented with an entire bundled product and they are required to opt out of the additional services if they wish to only purchase the energy element of the bundle or if they wish to opt out of any one of the elements of the bundled product.