Households across the UK are being urged to carry out an energy meter reading before Ofgem increases its price cap on Friday, April 1. And those on a default tariff, paying through direct debit, could see a dramatic rise of up to £700.
GoCompare Energy warns that some households could be paying 54 per cent more for their gas and electricity bills at a time when inflation is also skyrocketing. The provider recounts that in February this year, Ofgem announced the energy price cap would rise by £693 to £1,971, up from the previous cap of £1,277.
Gareth Kloet, GoCompare’s energy spokesperson said: "It’s absolutely worth taking a meter reading before these increases come into effect. By doing this, it simply means your energy company cannot charge you at the higher rate for any units that have been used prior to April 1.
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"Additionally, for those paying by direct debit, the company said bill payers may want to revise their monthly payments "to take into account the higher rates.”
Money-saving expert, Martin Lewis, explained that taking a meter reading on March 31 is essential after stating that the hike in energy price "is just hideous". In a recent Twitter post, the financial guru shared his views on the three most urgent must-knows for households paying energy bills by monthly direct debit.
He said: "On the 31st of March do a meter reading and send it to the company there and then, why? Because you are drawing a line in the sand that says to them, all the energy I have used until this point should be charged at the cheap rate - do not estimate my usage, I am locking it down so you cannot charge me any more than the amount I've actually used from the 1st of April onwards."
In a tweet this evening (March 30) he repeated: "Pls share. Thurs 31 Mar is energy #MeterReadingDay So firms can't assign some of your current usage to April when rates are c54% higher - Not smart meter? Send a reading (later in the day the better) - Smart or prepay meter? Just take a meter pic for safety (in case of dispute)."
Asked by a Twitter user if people with smart meters should still send their reading manually, he clarified: "No just take a meter pic for safety."
According to GoCompare, bill payers can do the following to save on gas and electricity costs:
- Turn off standby appliances - Some devices still use small amounts of power on standby mode
- Turn down your thermostat - You can help to reduce your heating bill by installing a room thermostat
- Wash clothes at a lower temperature as it uses less energy
- Use water wisely - The less water you use the less energy you need to heat it, so try swapping a bath for a short shower
- Monitor your energy usage - You may not be aware of when and how much energy you’re using - for example, even chargers that are switched on but not connected to devices are still using electricity
- Draught proof your home - Losing heat from your home will make your energy costs higher so to prevent this, look at where heat might be escaping from your property
- Buy efficient appliances - Some household appliances are particularly prone to using a lot of energy
- Install a new boiler - As heating and hot water can account for more than half of your energy usage and a boiler's efficiency usually decreases as it gets older
- Invest in double glazing - If you have single glazed windows you’ll lose heat twice as fast from them as you would through double glazing
- Consider how you pay for energy - Making regular monthly payments will help you stay up to date with your bills - convenient if you have a busy lifestyle - and you could even get discounts from most suppliers if you chose to pay by Direct Debit
How to take a metre reading?
Click here for the Citizen Advice step by step guide on how to take gas and electricity metre readings.
