Warning for 10million households to take meter readings this weekend – or risk being overcharged
MILLIONS of households should take a meter reading this weekend to avoid being overcharged.
This is to ensure they benefit from the cheaper rates coming into force on Easter Monday.
Almost 10million households are being urged to send energy meter readings to their supplier this weekend.
Not doing this means they could end up overpaying when the cheaper prices come into effect.
The average household energy bill is set to fall to its lowest point in two years from April 1 after Ofgem lowered its price cap in response to wholesale prices.
The regulator is dropping its price cap by 12.3% from the current £1,928 for a typical dual fuel household in England, Scotland and Wales to £1,690, a drop of £238 over a year or around £20 a month.
The average household on a standard variable tariff (SVT) is expected to spend £127 on energy in April.
This is compared with £205 in March and due to a combination of cheaper rates and lower usage as the weather warms up.
Those on SVTs who do not have a smart meter and do not submit meter readings on or around April 1 risk having some of their usage after that date charged at the previous, more expensive rates.
According to Uswitch, the difference between a week’s worth of energy at the old rates compared with a week in April was £4.65 for the average household.
We urge any households to submit their meter readings this weekend
Ben Gallizzi, Uswitch.com
Suppliers who have not received meter readings base their bills on estimated usage, meaning households could be overpaying, while others may not be paying enough.
A quarter of those who have not submitted their readings in the last three months (24%) said they forgot to, while 17% said it was “too much hassle”, Uswitch said.
Ben Gallizzi, energy spokesman at Uswitch.com, said: “We urge any households without a smart meter to submit their meter readings this bank holiday weekend, so their supplier has an updated and accurate view of your account on or around April 1.
“This is when the next energy price cap comes into effect, which will see the rates that households on standard variable tariffs pay for their energy fall for April, May and June.
“If you delay submitting your readings, some of your energy usage could end up being charged under the higher rates we’re currently facing.
“All households without a smart meter should ideally submit a meter reading every month to improve the accuracy of their bills.”
How do I take a meter reading?
How you take a meter reading can vary depending on the type you have, and we explain it in further detail below.
There should be a digital display or dial with numbers on it, which you can then report to your supplier.
If you’re not sure which numbers to use, Citizens’s Advice has a handy guide.
Once you have the numbers you should be able to submit them to your supplier.
This can be done in several ways depending on who you’re with, like via app, text message phone or website, so check with your supplier.
It is always worth taking a picture of your meter reading when you submit it to your supplier – just in case you need it as evidence for a future dispute.
Below we explain the two ways you can take your meter reading based on the type you have.
Electricity meters
If you have a digital electricity meter, you will just see a row of six numbers – five in black and one in red.
Take down the five numbers in black and ignore the red number.
If you are on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff which gives you cheaper electricity at night – you will have two rows of numbers, so take both readings down.
If you have a traditional dial meter you will need to read the first five dials from left to right ignoring any red ones.
If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower figures and if it is between nine and zero write down the number nine.
If the dial is directly over a number, write down that number and underline it.
If you’ve underlined a number, check the next dial to the right.
If the pointer on that dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the number you’ve underlined by 1.
For example, if you originally wrote down 5, change it to 4.
Gas meters
If you have a digital metric meter showing five numbers and then a decimal place, you only need to write down the first five numbers from left to right.
If you have a digital imperial meter your meter will read four black numbers and two red numbers – note down the four black numbers only.
If you have a dial gas meter, follow the same steps as those for those with a dial electricity meter, but ignore underlining any figures.
How do I calculate my energy bill?
BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill.
To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/kWh.The standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year – irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity.
You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill.
Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs.
You’ll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage – this will then give you your annual costs.
Divide this figure by 12, and you’ll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1.