ENERGY bills will rise for millions of households within weeks when the new price cap increases.
The price cap will go up by around 6% from April 1, adding £111 a year to the average family’s bill, if they pay by direct debit.
The cap, set by regulator Ofgem, puts a limit on what energy suppliers can charge customers per unit of gas and electric which means you may pay more or less than this.
Meanwhile, it only affects those on standard variable tariffs, which accounts for around 28million households.
Ofgem fixes the price cap every three months based on the wholesale cost of gas and electricity.
You won’t be affected by the change to the price cap on April 1 if you’re on a fixed tariff.
These charge you the same per unit of gas and electricity for the course of your contract.
If you are on a standard variable tariff, it is crucial you submit a meter reading before the price cap changes though.
This is to ensure you are charged the lower rate for your energy before prices rise.
If you do miss the deadline to submit a meter reading, your supplier will give you an estimated bill.
This calculates your bill based on how much energy you are forecast to have used, not what you have actually used.
The exact date you have to submit a meter reading depends on what supplier you are with.
Some give you a few days after the price cap changes to submit a backdated meter reading while others give you a week or more.
Check with your supplier to find out when is the latest you can submit a reading.
It’s worth bearing in mind, you don’t need to submit a meter reading if you have a smart meter or are a prepayment meter customer.
If you do have a smart meter, check it is in “smart mode” as this will ensure you’re accurately charged.
How to submit a meter reading
The easiest way to take a meter reading is to take a photo of your gas and electricity meters.
This means you have evidence in case you need to dispute a bill.
You can send in your meter reading online via your energy account.
Some providers will also let you send in the numbers by text or through their app.
Check which options your supplier offers on their website.
Electricity meters
If you have a digital electricity meter then you will see a row of six numbers.
Five of them will be in black and one will be in red.
Write down the five numbers in black, which are shown from left to right.
If you are on an economy 7 or 10 tariff, which gives you cheaper electricity at night, then you will have two rows of numbers.
You need both to take a reading.
If you have a traditional dial meter then you need to read the first five dials from left to right.
Ignore any red dials.
If the pointer is between two numbers then write down the lowest figure.
If it is between nine and zero then write down the number nine.
Gas meters
If you have a digital metric gas meter showing five numbers followed by a decimal point then you need to write down the first five numbers.
If you have a digital imperial meter then you will see four black numbers and two red numbers.
Write down the four black numbers only.
If you have a digital gas meter, follow the same steps as the digital electricity meter.
What energy bill help is available?
There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
