Warning: It’s Meter Reading Week So Act Now

Annie

2nd Jul 2024

Studying Time: 4 minutes

It’s time for a meter learn! Yesterday, the Power Worth Cap lowered – which implies your power payments could possibly be taking place. However in the event you don’t have a sensible meter and also you haven’t despatched a meter studying, you possibly can miss out! Right here’s learn how to verify your meter and determine if it’s good to repair your tariff now, too.

Read Your Meter

Submit Meter Readings

Think Your Bill Is Wrong?

Should You Fix Your Tariff Now?

Learn Your Meter

Whereas meters all fluctuate a bit of between one another, there are just a few widespread similarities. In case you’ve by no means taken a meter studying earlier than, right here’s learn how to do a meter learn.

Your meter can have a line of numbers. If it begins with a zero, you could not want to write down that down. Some on-line submission types require a zero although, so make a remark simply in case.

You might also have numbers after a decimal level which are in crimson. You don’t want to write down these numbers down.

If in case you have a day/night time fee, search for two seen rows of numbers, or  press a button to show the second row. Ensure you write down each as these are your day and night time numbers.

Some could have older digital meters, particularly in the event you’re on an Eco10 or Eco7 tariff. That is the place you will have two provides, one for storage heaters and one other for all the things else. If so, your meter will present 4 readings as a substitute of two.

You want to cycle by way of the digital shows, normally by urgent a button that claims ‘show’ or comparable. It’ll inform you the time, the date, and the 4 totally different charges. It’s seemingly that a few of these numbers will look very small in comparison with the others, that is regular – your night time fee on an eco tariff may be hardly used in the summertime months, for instance.

Ensure you take readings for each your electrical energy and fuel meters when you’ve got each varieties equipped to your property.

At all times take a photograph of your meter in the event you can. This can assist with proof if there may be ever a invoice dispute. Maintain the pictures in a separate folder to make them simple to search out and examine.

Submit Meter Readings

When you will have learn your meter, most power firms allow you to submit your meter studying on-line. Log in to your account on-line and submit the studying, ensuring you will have the day and night time fee the right means round earlier than urgent submit.

It’s also possible to use stay internet chat on the web site to submit the studying to an agent, in the event you choose.

Many individuals like to talk to somebody, particularly if they’ve a posh meter like an Eco10 meter. Use the primary contact telephone quantity to get in contact, making certain you will have your account particulars and meter readings handy. Ensure you ask the telephone agent to repeat the numbers again to you, to verify they’ve enter them appropriately.

If You Dispute Your Invoice

In case you haven’t submitted a meter studying in a very long time (or ever), your power invoice may wildly change. This would possibly go in your favour with a pleasant large refund, or it may land you with a giant invoice. It’s because power firms use estimates until you give them correct readings, so they might have been over- or under-estimating loads.

In case you assume there’s something mistaken along with your billing, step one is to get in contact along with your provider. Generally, it may be one thing so simple as your day and night time charges being enter the mistaken means round. Nonetheless, it may be a extra critical billing situation which wants investigating.

Your power provider ought to look into it and preserve you up to date of their actions. In case you haven’t heard something inside ten working days, elevate a proper grievance. This could escalate the problem to assist attain a decision. If, after eight weeks from the date of grievance, you haven’t reached a decision, you possibly can attraction to the power ombudsman.

They are going to have a look at the proof of either side of the grievance and discover a decision. This might go in your favour, reminiscent of compensation for inaccurate billing, or it may go within the power firm’s favour, reminiscent of owing the debt they are saying you will have. Ensure you have a robust case earlier than you attraction to the ombudsman.

Ought to You Repair Your Power Tariff Now?

With the Power Worth Cap at its lowest so far, till no less than October, now is an effective time for locking in a set worth tariff for most individuals. This can safe a decrease tariff for 12 months in comparison with in the event you keep in your present tariff or a variable one that may go up and down with the market.

If you wish to swap tariff, contact your power provider to search out out which charges are on provide and learn how to swap. There may be an exit payment in the event you’re nonetheless in a fixed-term contract, however normally you may get this waived in the event you’re staying with the identical supplier, so be sure to’re able to haggle!