Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has issued a reminder for all energy customers to take and submit a meter reading this week.
Ofgem announced recently is was lowering the energy price cap by more than £1,200 for the average household in England, Wales and Scotland.
The reduction will come into effect from Saturday (July 1), with the price cap dropping from £3,280 per year to £2,074 per year to reflect the recent falls in wholesale energy prices.
The lower cap will replace the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), which currently limits the typical household energy bill to around £2,500.
The energy Price Cap will change from 1 July 2023
— Ofgem (@ofgem) May 25, 2023
The new #PriceCap is £2,074
The level is based on typical use of an average household on their supplier’s standard default tariff
It's a cap on energy unit price, not a cap on total bills
More ➡️ https://t.co/E5rmWzIvCd pic.twitter.com/hrtBuvCzsC
It means the average household will see their annual bill drop by £426, the first time prices have fallen in over 18 months.
Martin Lewis issues reminder to submit meter reading
Ahead of the change on Saturday, Martin Lewis issued a reminder for energy customers to take and submit their meter readings "within a few days either side" of Saturday.
He said if you have a prepay/smart meter, there was no need to submit a reading.
However, if you pay through direct debit, it was important to take a meter reading.
IT'S METER READING WEEK! Prices fall an avg 17% across Eng, Scot & Wal this Sat as the price cap drops (more for higher users who have gas, less for lower elec only users)
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 26, 2023
Got working smart/prepay meter? You NEEDN'T do a meter reading
Pay by direct debit? Submit a reading. With… pic.twitter.com/Nve5MVs5Ev
In a post on Twitter, Lewis said: "Pay energy by monthly Direct Debit? IT'S METER READING WEEK! As Energy Price Cap FALLS avg 17% this Sat!
"Unless you've got a working smart meter, as firms estimate your usage and assign it to a set period, submitting a reading reduces the risk of their 'estimating' going against you (though there's always a chance a discrepancy could end up in your favour).
"Do it within a few days either side of Sat (you can backdate) & take pic of the meter for the belt 'n' braces."
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