Martin Lewis and his Money Saving Expert team have issued a warning to anybody who doesn’t have a smart meter in their home. The BBC and ITV star’s team is urging energy bill customers to take action and send in a meter reading over the new energy price cap.
MSE warned: “It’s Meter Reading Week. If you’ve not got a WORKING smart meter, aim to give an up-to-date meter reading within a few days either side of 1 Jan, reducing the risk that your supplier estimates that you’ve used more at the new higher rate than you have.
“If you have smart meters that are working properly in smart mode, so they’re regularly sending meter readings to your provider, there’s no need to do anything, as they do it automatically. You may want to double-check your meters are sending reads, though. You can usually see this in your account or on your bill. You can also take a photo of your meters on the day, so you have the readings for safety.
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“Giving a meter reading means your supplier will know exactly how much you used when prices change, so you’re fairly charged.” MSE went on to add: “Yet if all of us rush to do this on the same day, it can lead to suppliers’ websites crashing and phone lines becoming jammed, which can affect vulnerable people (as we saw in March 2022).
“To avoid that, you can give a reading a few days before or after and any discrepancy should be minor. Or, some firms let you backdate your reading, so if you take the actual meter reading on the day, note it down, but then submit it at a later date.”
Mr Lewis’ warning comes as the price cap changes this week, with a hike in bills expected from January 1 to April 1, thanks to regulator Ofgem.