MILLIONS of households have just a few hours left to read their meters to avoid being overcharged.
Households must do this before the new price cap comes into effect tomorrow.
With a current meter reading, your supplier has a more accurate picture of your consumption and can send you an accurate invoice.
Ofgem’s maximum energy rate will fall from the current rate of £1,690 a year to £1,568 on Monday 1 July, its lowest level in two years.
The fall in Ofgem’s price cap means the average household will see their bills fall by £122 a year.
Energy suppliers generally require you to regularly read your gas and electricity meters to determine how much they should charge you.
Customers who fail to do so will be billed based on estimated usage and will likely pay more.
So it is definitely worth finding out how to record your meter readings so that you can be sure you are not paying too much.
If you do not have a smart meter, you will have to read your meter readings yourself.
People with smart meters do not have to manually submit meter readings, because they are automatically sent to suppliers.
What energy bill assistance is available?
THERE are several ways to get help paying your energy bills if you are struggling.
If you find yourself in debt, you can always contact your supplier to ask if they can offer you a repayment plan before purchasing a prepaid meter.
This means that you pay off your debt in installments spread over a certain period.
If your supplier offers you a refund plan that you can’t afford, contact him or her again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy companies offer subsidy schemes for customers who are having difficulty paying their bills.
But the eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills could get grants worth up to £1,500.
British Gas also offers assistance through its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You do not need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power are also offering grants to struggling customers.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on additional help and protection because they do not register with the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service provides support to vulnerable households, such as the elderly and the sick. Some of the benefits are that you will be warned in advance of a power outage, that you will receive free gas safety checks and that you will receive extra support if you are struggling.
Contact your energy company to see if you can apply.
HOW TO TAKE A METER READING
If you do not have a smart meter, your energy supplier will usually regularly request the readings of your gas and electricity meters to determine how much you have to pay.
Customers who do not regularly provide their meter readings to their suppliers will have their bills calculated based on estimated consumption. They will probably pay more. It is therefore always useful to know how to provide the figures.
After you have taken a measurement, you can submit it in various ways, such as via SMS or telephone.
You may also be able to submit it online or through your supplier’s app.
It is best to ask your supplier what your options are.
It’s always worth taking a photo of your meter reading when submitting it to your supplier, in case you need it as evidence for a future dispute.
How you take your meter readings depends on the type of meter you have. We have explained how to take meter readings for the different meter types.
Electricity meters
If you have a digital electricity meter, you will only see a row of six numbers: five in black and one in red.
Note the five black numbers and ignore the red number.
If you have an Economy 7 or 10 tariff, which gives you cheaper electricity at night, you will get two rows of numbers. In that case, write down both readings.
If you have a traditional dial gauge, you should read the first five dials from left to right, ignoring the red dials.
If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the bottom numbers. If the pointer is between nine and zero, write the number nine.
If the dial is directly over a number, write down that number and underline it.
If you have underlined a number, check the next number on the right.
If the hand on that clock face is between 9 and 0, decrease the number you underlined by 1.
For example, if you originally wrote 5, change it to 4.
Gas meters
If you have a digital metric meter that shows five numbers and then a decimal, you only need to write down the first five numbers from left to right.
If you have a digital imperial meter, your meter will display four black numbers and two red numbers. Only record the four black numbers.
If you have a dial gas meter, follow the same steps as for a dial electricity meter. However, ignore underlining numbers.
How do I calculate my energy bill?
BELOW we explain how you can calculate your energy bill yourself.
To calculate how much you will pay for your energy bill, you need to calculate your unit rate for gas and electricity and the fixed costs for each type of fuel.
The unit rate is usually shown on your bill in p/kWh. The fixed rate is a daily rate that you pay 365 days a year, regardless of whether you use gas or electricity.
You must then record your own annual energy consumption based on a previous bill.
Once you have this information, you can calculate your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your consumption in kWh by the unit price in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type. This will give you your consumption costs.
Then multiply the fixed costs by 365 and add this number to your usage totals. This is how you get your annual costs.
Divide this amount by 12 to determine how much you have to pay per month from April 1.