MILLIONS of households have just hours left to read their meters to avoid overloading.
Households should do this before the new price cap comes into force tomorrow.
An updated meter status will mean your supplier has a more accurate idea of ​​your usage and will bill you more accurately.
Ofgem’s energy price cap will drop from the current rate of £1,690 a year to £1,568, the lowest level in two years, on Monday 1 July.
The drop in Ofgem’s price cap will mean a typical household will see their bills drop by £122 a year.
Energy suppliers usually require you to read your gas and electricity meters regularly to find out how much to charge you.
Customers who fail to do so are charged for estimated usage and are likely to pay more.
So it’s definitely worth figuring out how to read the meter to make sure you’re not overcharged.
If you don’t have a smart meter, you’ll need to read your numbers.
However, those with smart meters do not need to send manual readings as they are sent to suppliers automatically.
What help with energy bills is available?
THERE are several different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to make ends meet.
If you fall into debt, you can always contact your supplier to see if they can give you a repayment plan before they put you on the downpayment meter.
This involves paying back what you owe in installments over a set period of time.
If your supplier offers you a payment plan that you don’t think you can afford, talk to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy companies have grant schemes available for customers who are struggling to meet their bills.
However, eligibility criteria vary by supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial situation.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills can receive grants worth up to £1,500.
British Gas also offers help 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 also offer grants to struggling customers.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on additional help and protection by not registering on the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as the elderly or ill, and some of the benefits include early warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and more support if you’re struggling.
Contact your energy company to see if you can sign up.
HOW TO CHANGE METER
If you don’t have a smart meter, your energy supplier will usually require regular readings from your gas and electricity meters to work out how much you should be billed.
Customers who don’t send their suppliers regular readings will be billed based on estimated usage and likely to pay more – so it always pays to know how to send the numbers.
Once read, you should be able to send it in a number of ways, including text or phone.
You can also submit it online or through your supplier’s app.
It is best to check with your supplier about your options.
It’s always worth taking a picture of the condition of the meter when you hand it over to your supplier – in case you need it as evidence in a future dispute.
How you read your meter depends on what type of meter you have – we’ve explained how to take a reading depending on the type of meter you have.
Electricity meters
If you have a digital meter, you will only see a row of six numbers – five black and one red.
Remove the five black numbers and ignore the red number.
If you’re on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff which gives you cheaper electricity at night – you’ll have two sets of numbers so you subtract both.
If you have a traditional dial, you will need to read the first five dials from left to right and ignore any red ones.
If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower digits, and if it is between nine and zero, write down the number nine.
If the dial is directly above a number, write that number down and underline it.
If you underlined the number, check the next dial to the right.
If the pointer on the dial is between 9 and 0, decrease the number you underlined by 1.
For example, if you originally wrote down 5, change it to 4.
Gas meters
If you have a digital metric meter that shows five numbers and then a decimal place, just write the first five numbers from left to right.
If you have a digital imperial meter, your meter will show four black numbers and two red numbers – note only the four black numbers.
If you have a dial gas meter, follow the same steps as those with a dial meter, but ignore the underlining of any numbers.
How do I calculate my energy bill?
BELOW we will tell you how you can calculate your own energy bill.
To work out how much you’ll pay for your energy bill, you need to find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the fixed charge for each type of fuel.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your vp/kWh bill. The fixed charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days a year – regardless of whether you use gas or electricity.
You will then need to note your own annual energy consumption from the previous bill.
Once you have this information, you can calculate your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your consumption in kWh by the unit rate vp/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this gives you your cost of use.
You will then need to multiply each fixed charge by 365 and add that number to your usage total – this will then give you your annual cost.
Divide that number by 12 and you can determine how much you should expect to pay each month starting April 1st.