In a week’s time, the Ofgem energy price cap will see an increase affecting billpayers across the country. From October 1, the new price cap will escalate to £1,717 annually for a typical dual fuel household paying their bills via direct debit.
This marks a significant rise of £149 from the current £1,568 price cap. The energy price cap limits the amount that a supplier can charge for their default tariff.
However, consumers are being encouraged to take accurate and timely meter readings to avoid being overcharged for their electricity usage. Taking an exact reading either on September 30 (the last day of the running energy rates), or October 1 (first day of the new rates), can prevent energy firms from estimating your energy consumption inaccurately and thus overcharging you.
Providing precise meter readings could also assist in disputing any questionable charges on your bill or claiming inaccurate or unfair charging. Customers should also never deliberately provide incorrect readings to your energy firm in an attempt to save money as this is highly illegal and classified as fraud. If your home has a smart meter installed, the readings will be done automatically.
How to take a meter reading
Different types of meters require different reading techniques. It’s crucial to identify the type of meter your home has to provide an almost perfect reading.
These meters will display five digits in either black or white, possibly followed by one or more red digits. For this meter, you should record the first five digits from left to right and disregard any other numbers shown.
Two rate digital meter
These types of meters will show two rows of numbers. To read this meter, you should note both numbers from the top and bottom rows, ignoring any digits displayed in red.
Dial meter
An electricity dial meter will present five or more dials that rotate to point to a number between 0 and 9. Each dial on the meter will spin in the opposite direction to the one adjacent to it.
To read this meter, you should record the first five dials from left to right, disregarding any red dials or dials marked 1/10. If the pointer is between two numbers, you should note the lower number – if it’s between 9 and 0, write down 9.
If the pointer is directly over a number, you should note that number then underline it. Then, if the next dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the underlined number by 1.
