ENERGY bills are set to rise next week for most households across the UK.
From October 1, over 22million Brits will see their gas and electricity costs increase by £35 to £1,755 a year under the price cap set by regulator Ofgem.
Millions of Brits will see their energy costs rise from October 1[/caption]
If you’re on a standard variable tariff, you’ll be impacted by the price cap rise – and you’ll need to submit a meter reading to your energy supplier soon to avoid facing even higher bills.
A meter reading tells your provider exactly how much energy you’re using, and ensures you’ll only be charged the new higher rates for the energy you use after the price cap rise kicks in on October 1.
If you don’t submit a meter reading by your supplier’s deadline, they’ll use an estimate to work out how much you owe and you risk being overcharged.
Households with a working smart meter, however, don’t need to manually submit a reading as the gadget sends them automatically.
“Households should take a moment to read their energy meter in the coming days to avoid the possibility of being charged at October’s higher energy rates,” says USwitch’s energy expert Ben Gallizzi.
“Customers who don’t have a smart meter should submit their readings before or on Wednesday 1 October, so their supplier has an updated – and accurate – view of their account.”
While the new price cap comes in at midnight on October 1, the final deadline to submit meter readings varies for each energy provider.
Some firms also let you backdate your meter reading, so you may be able to submit it at a later date.
Below we reveal the dates each major supplier says readings must be submitted by and how you can do so.
British Gas
British Gas customers have until October 14 to submit their meter readings.
The quickest way customers can do this is through their online account or the British Gas mobile app.
You can also give a meter reading over the phone by calling 0330 054 5340.
Octopus Energy
Octopus customers have until October 8 to submit a meter reading.
Customers can give a meter reading through their online account or the Octopus app.
They also send it via an online form on its website or by emailing hello@octopus.energy.
E.ON Next
E.ON customers have until October 6 to submit a meter reading.
The energy giant has said anyone on a standard variable tariff who does not have a smart meter should submit a reading between September 26 and October 6 to avoid the risk of being overcharged.
The quickest and easiest way for customers to submit a meter reading is through their online account, it added.
EDF Energy
If you’re with EDF, you have until October 9 to submit a meter reading.
You can submit these online by logging into your EDF account or in the EDF app.
OVO Energy
OVO customers have until October 11 to submit a meter reading.
You can send meter readings through the OVO app or your online account.
Alternatively, you can use its webchat or call 0330 175 9676.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power customers have until October 5 to submit meter readings.
Customers can submit these in their online account or through the Scottish Power app.
They can also call its 24-hour automated meter reading service on 0800 027 8000.
How to take a reading
The easiest way to take a reading is by taking a photo of your gas and electricity meters.
This can be used as evidence in case you need to dispute it.
If you have a electricity meter then you will see a row of six numbers – five in black and one in red.
Write down the five numbers in black, which are shown from left to right.
If you have a traditional dial meter then you need to read the first five dials from left to right.
If the pointer is between the two numbers then write down the lowest figure.
If it is between nine and zero then write down the number nine.
For gas meters you need to write down the first five numbers that are shown before the decimal point.
Digital imperial meters are four black numbers and two red numbers.
How to reduce your energy bill
As the colder winter months approach, millions of households will be bracing for higher energy bills.
According to USwitch, homes on standard tariffs who use a typical amount of energy are expected to spend £140 on energy in October, compared with £63 in September.
“It’s worth seeing if your supplier offers any free energy schemes at off-peak times, which can save a lot of money,” USwitch expert Mr Gallizzi said.
If you’re on a standard variable tariff, you could also consider switching to a fixed tariff to shield yourself from any future price hikes.
“Energy bill-payers can get ahead of October’s price hike by fixing at cheaper rates now.
“Currently, there are a range of fixed deals currently available that are around £215 cheaper than the October price cap for the average household.
“If you can switch to a deal cheaper than the October price cap, now is a good time to make the change. We urge customers to run an energy comparison as soon as possible,” Mr Gallizzi added.
Why are energy bills rising?
ENERGY bills are set to rise by 2% on October 1 to £1,755 a year for households using a typical amount of energy.
This is because of the energy price cap, which is set by regulator Ofgem and announced every three months.
The hike, which was announced in August, means bills will rise by £35.14 a year for households on a standard variable tariff – which is most households.
Those on fixed tariffs won’t be impacted by the change, as their bill is set by their supplier for the duration of their contract.
The new price cap is 2.2% higher than the price cap set for the same period last year, when it was £1,717.
The price cap was introduced by the government in January 2019, and sets a maximum price that energy suppliers can charge households in England, Scotland and Wales for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy they use.
The figure is impacted by a range of factors, including geopolitical factors and weather patterns which can impact the price of wholesale oil and gas.
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