People are being urged to read their meters today before energy prices go up.
Energy bills will be capped at £2,500 a year for a typical household from this weekend - up from an average of £1,971 a year. The new Energy Price Guarantee will come into force from October 1 for two years - replacing the Ofgem price cap.
Before bills go up, many homes will be submitting up-to-date meter readings to their energy firms. The idea is that they can prove how much energy they used at a lower price right up to the point bills go up. That means they can only be charged for the energy they use, with no quibbling about overcharging.
Read More: Martin Lewis warns 'there is no £2,500 cap on energy bills' as cost crisis continues
The last time energy bills went up majorly was April 1. But the day before, March 31, Brits flocked to give meter readings in droves.
This led to energy firm websites crashing under the strain - including British Gas, Eon, Scottish Power and SSE. Energy firms extended the meter reading deadlines by several days, in response, reports The Mirror.
MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis is calling October's meter reading period "meter reading week" as a result. Speaking to Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard, Lewis said: "Do it today, do it tomorrow, do it the next day. Most firms let you submit the readings up to a week and in some cases two weeks after the date.
"You don’t need to do a reading if you’re on a smart meter that works, on a prepayment meter or you’re on a very cheap fix where the price won't be changing. Everybody else should be doing a meter reading. Get it done in the next few days and submit it in the next two weeks."
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