ENERGY bills will rise for millions of households from today as the new price cap comes into effect.
The cap rose by 10%, adding £149 a year to the typical bill of a household with a dual fuel tariff which pays via direct debit.
Households will now pay £1,717 a year for their energy, up from £1,568 under the previous threshold.
But energy bills are expected to fall again to £1,697 a year in January, according to the latest predictions from analysts Cornwall Insight.
These thresholds are used to show how much a typical family could expect to spend on their energy bill each year.
But the amount they will actually pay each month will depend on their usage and can be higher or lower than this cap.
The threshold applies to the 28million households who are on a standard variable tariff, which fluctuates with the wholesale price of energy every three months.
Some households are on a fixed tariff, which means the rate they pay stays the same for their whole contract and is not subject to the cap.
To avoid being charged more than you should it’s essential that you submit a meter reading as soon as possible when the price cap changes.
Doing so ensures that all of the energy you used before October 1 is charged at the lower rate.
The exact date you need to submit a meter reading by differs depending on your supplier and some will allow you to backdate the reading to the date it was taken.
Some providers will even give you an extra fortnight to send in your reading.
But if you miss the deadline and do not submit a reading then you will be given an estimated bill.
These bills are calculated based on a prediction of your power use.
This could mean that some of the energy you used before the new cap came into effect could be charged at the wrong rate.
As a result you could receive a bill that is more than the amount you should actually need to pay.
Here we reveal the exact dates that you need to submit a meter reading to each supplier as the energy price cap changes.
You should try to take your meter reading as close to October 1 as possible to reflect your energy use up until this point.
Once you have taken the reading you have a certain period of time to submit it to your supplier.
The amount of time you have will depend on who your energy provider is.
British Gas customers have until October 14 to send in a reading and can do so online, via its app, web form or by telephone.
Households which are supplied by EDF have until October 9 to send in their meter reading online, via its app, online form, email, WhatsApp, text or over the phone.
E.on Next customers have a week from today to submit their reading and can do so in their online account, via its app, email or by telephone.
Octopus Energy users also have until October 8 to send in their reading and need to do so online, via its web form, app or by email.
At Ovo Energy you can send in your reading in your online account, via its app or over the phone and need to do so by October 11.
Scottish Power customers need to submit their reading by October 5 and can do so through their online account, via its app or by telephone 24 hours a day.
There is no deadline to submit a meter reading at So Energy but you can do so if you have proof of the date you took it.
You can submit it in your online account, by email or by telephone 24 hours a day.
Finally, Utility Warehouse customers needed to give a reading in the five days leading up to October 1 and submit it in their online account, through its app or by telephone.
The easiest way to take a meter reading is to take a picture of your gas and electricity meters so that you have evidence in case you need to dispute a bill.
You can submit your reading online via your energy account.
Some providers will also let you send in the figures by text or through an app.
Check the options that are available with your own supplier.
If you have a digital electricity meter, you will see a row of six numbers – five in black and one in red.
Only take down the five numbers in black.
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 and you need both.
If you have a traditional dial meter you will need to read the first five dials from left to right, again you do not need the red ones.
If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower figure.
If it is between nine and zero then write down the number nine.
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 grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies 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, and 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.
If you have a digital metric gas meter showing five numbers and then a decimal place, you only need to write down the first five numbers.
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 the dial electricity meter.
If you have a smart meter then you do not need to submit a reading as this is taken automatically and is sent to your supplier directly.
But you should check that your smart meter is in “smart mode” and is working properly to make sure that you are accurately charged.
You do not need to submit a meter reading if you have a fixed energy tariff or a traditional prepayment meter.
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