Urgent warning for British Gas, Scottish Power, EDF & EON customers ahead of key deadline

Scottish Sun

3 days ago

Find out what to do before the deadline
SAY WATT? Urgent warning for British Gas, Scottish Power, EDF & EON customers ahead of key deadline
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AN URGENT warning has been issued to millions of British Gas, Scottish Power, EDF and EON customers ahead of a new important deadline.
Scots have been warned not to be caught out this month before the new Ofgem price cap comes into force.
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Homeowners have been urgedto submit their meter readings by June 30
Credit: Alamy
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It comes as a new price cap kicks in on July 1
Credit: Alamy
Costs are set to decrease from July 1 as the price cap, set by the national energy regulator, goes down by seven per cent.
And Advice Direct Scotland is reminding households to act before midnight on June 30.
Accurate readings will prevent suppliers from estimating usage and applying new prices to energy consumed before the new date.
Submitting them before July 1 can mean customers can avoid being overcharged.
And anyone who has a smart meter has been urged to check that their device is working properly.
Ofgem resets its cap on the amount suppliers can charge every three months.
Lower gas and electricity prices will come as a relief for households, but bills remain significantly higher than they were before the energy crisis began
Conor Forbes
The latest change - from £1,849 to £1,720 on July 1 - represents a seven per cent decrease on the current level.
And it will mean that annual energy bills will decrease by around £122.
However, this is still £582 more than households were paying before the energy crisis began in autumn 2021.
Over the last four years, energy prices have been particularly volatile, and many have been left out of pocket by huge changes.
The bizarre reason my smart meter won't work & I miss out on cheaper bills
So, in a bid to help, experts at Advice Direct Scotland said anyone who can't submit readings by June 30 should do so as close to the date as possible.
They also advised homeowners to take a photo of the meter showing the readings to help resolve any disputes.
Another thing customers can do is check if there is a better tariff available to them.
However, most of the best-value deals are targeted at more affluent customers or those with a smart meter installed.
The next price cap update will be announced by Ofgem in August.
And the most recent forecasts have suggested that it will fall again as we head into autumn.
This would mean that the pressure on consumers would ease a little bit more over winter, lasting until around spring next year.
However, Advice Direct Scotland has warned that many people are still struggling with record levels of debt.
And the charity is encouraging anyone worried about bills to contact its experts for free, impartial advice.
Advisers can be contacted at www.energyadvice.scot or on freephone 0808 196 8660, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
The charity has been campaigning for a social energy tariff to be introduced across the UK.
This would automatically place the most vulnerable customers on the cheapest deals, and eligibility could be based on benefit receipt or low income.
How to take a meter reading
THE easiest way to take a meter reading is to take a photo of your gas and electricity meters.
This means you have evidence in case you need to dispute a bill.
You can send in your meter reading online via your energy account.
Some providers will also let you send in the numbers by text or through their app.
Check which options your supplier offers on their website.
Electricity meters
If you have a digital electricity meter then you will see a row of six numbers.
Five of them will be in black and one will be in red.
Write down the five numbers in black, which are shown from left to right.
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.
You need both to take a reading.
If you have a traditional dial meter then you need to read the first five dials from left to right.
Ignore any red dials.
If the pointer is between two numbers then write down the lowest figure.
If it is between nine and zero then write down the number nine.
Gas meters
If you have a digital metric gas meter showing five numbers followed by a decimal point then you need to write down the first five numbers.
If you have a digital imperial meter then you will see four black numbers and two red numbers.
Write down the four black numbers only.
If you have a digital gas meter, follow the same steps as the digital electricity meter.
Conor Forbes, policy director at Advice Direct Scotland, said:
'Lower gas and electricity prices will come as a relief for households, but bills remain significantly higher than they were before the energy crisis began.
'It's important to submit meter readings before the new price cap comes into force, to prevent being overcharged.
'For extra peace of mind, take a dated photo of the meter. If you have a smart meter, make sure it's working.
'People can also take practical action by examining their bills, finding out how much they are paying, and checking if there are cheaper options available with other suppliers.
'Struggling customers should know they do not have to suffer in silence.
"Our expert team is on hand for anyone who needs help, no matter their circumstances.
'However, a longer-term solution to the scourge of fuel poverty is a UK-wide social energy tariff, which would automatically put vulnerable people on the cheapest deals.'