Households urged to make quick energy bill check in HOURS or risk being overcharged

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

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BILL CHANGE Households urged to make quick energy bill check in HOURS or risk being overcharged
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HOUSEHOLDS are being urged to make a quick energy bill check in hours or they could risk being overcharged.
From tomorrow, July 1, Brits are set to see their energy bills tumble, bringing a much-needed breather for millions struggling with the cost of living.
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Households should make a quick check to avoid being overcharged
Credit: Alamy
That's because the energy price cap, which limits what suppliers can charge households on a standard variable tariff for each unit of gas and electricity, will drop.
The average annual gas and electricity bill will fall 7% from £1,849 to £1,720 - saving the typical household £129 a year.
Around 22million homes on standard variable tariffs will benefit.
Under the new rates, electricity will cost about 25.73p per kilowatt hour, with a daily standing charge of 51.37p.
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Gas will come in at roughly 6.33p per kilowatt hour, with a 29.82p daily standing charge.
The price cap controls the unit rate, not the total bill, so households that burn through more energy than Ofgem's 'typical' estimate will still pay more.
That typical figure is based on annual usage of 2,700kWh of electricity and 11,500kWh of gas.
Households on the price cap have been urged to do a meter reading and send it to their supplier NOW to avoid a nasty bill sting from tomorrow.
This will stop suppliers charging for energy used after tomorrow at the higher June rates, which could happen if estimated bills are used instead.
You won't need to take a meter reading if you have a smart meter, as it will do it for you.
You also don't need to do a meter reading if you are on a fixed tariff.
It's worth considering switching onto a fixed energy tariff to save even more money.
What is the energy price cap?
The price cap on energy bills was introduced in January 2019 as a way to prevent households being ripped off by their energy suppliers.
But in October 2022 as energy prices surged, the government brought in the energy price guarantee which replaced the cap temporarily to keep household bills down.
Initially, this limited the typical domestic energy bill to £2,500, but this has now fallen to £1,568 a year.
It affects around 29 million customers on default or variable tariffs, according to the regulator Ofgem.
The cap is calculated based on the wholesale price of gas and electricity.
It also includes allowances for tax, charges paid to the energy networks, green levies and social payments.
When do I need to submit a reading?
Those who fail to take a reading risk being overcharged, as suppliers with no up-to-date readings rely on estimates.
However, there is usually a bit of breathing room to submit the numbers.
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British Gas customers, for example, have until July 14 to send their readings.
Ovo Energy allows readings up to July 11, while E.on Next sets a deadline of July 6.
Octopus Energy customers must submit theirs by July 8, and EDF gives until July 10.
Utility Warehouse customers should have already submitted as it only accepts readings taken in the five days leading up to July 1.
How do I take a reading?
The simplest way to take a reading is to take a photo of the meter. This serves as proof if there is any dispute later.
Readings can be sent online, via an app or by phone, depending on the supplier.
On a digital electricity meter, five black numbers should be recorded, ignoring any red figures.
Those on economy tariffs with two rows of numbers will need to note both.
Dial meters require a reading of the first five dials from left to right, skipping any red dials.
For gas, if the meter shows five numbers before a decimal point, note down those five.
If there are four black numbers and two red, only the black ones are needed.
Households with a working smart meter need not worry, as readings are sent to suppliers automatically but it is worth checking the smart meter is in smart mode and transmitting correctly.
With prices easing tomorrow, the relief cannot come soon enough.