Ten million homes should read their energy meter this weekend to draw a line under the winter’s high rates

Nearly ten million households need to submit their meter readings this bank holiday to make sure they benefit fully from lower energy rates from 1 April[1], research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, has found. 

All households on standard variable tariffs (SVTs) will start paying cheaper rates for their energy usage from 1 April, when the new price cap comes into effect. 

Households on an SVT with average usage are expected to spend £127 on energy in April, compared with £205 in March[2]. The reduction is down to a combination of cheaper rates and lower usage over the spring. 

Yet, those on SVTs who do not have a smart meter and do not submit meter readings on or around 1 April risk having some of their usage charged under the older, more expensive March rates. 

The difference between a week’s worth of energy at March’s rates compared to April’s is £4.65 for the average household[2] Therefore, if those ten million households neglected to read their meter by April 1, and were incorrectly charged by just a week's worth of energy, they could risk overpaying by £44.6 million in total[2].

Nearly a fifth (18%) of households who don’t have a smart meter haven’t submitted their meter readings in the last three months, and 4% haven’t for a whole year[3]. Not submitting meter readings means suppliers have to base bills off estimated usage — meaning some households could be over-paying, and others may not be paying enough. 

A quarter (24%) of those who have not submitted their readings in the last three months say they forget to, and nearly a fifth (17%) say it is too much hassle. Meanwhile, 14% of those who have not submitted readings do not know how to read their meter, and 12% do not even know where their meter is[4].

A fifth of households (22%) have admitted to making a mistake when submitting their meter readings, with mixing up gas and electricity meters and writing digits in the wrong order the most common errors[5]. 

Uswitch.com is urging households to read their meter this bank holiday weekend and offers tips on how to keep energy bills low this spring.

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “We urge any households without a smart meter to submit their meter readings this bank holiday weekend, so their supplier has an updated – and accurate – view of your account on or around 1 April. 

“This is when the next energy price cap comes into effect, which will see the rates that households on standard variable tariffs pay for their energy fall for April, May and June.

“If you delay submitting your readings, some of your energy usage could end up being charged under the higher rates we’re currently facing.

“All households without a smart meter should ideally submit a meter reading every month to improve the accuracy of their bills.”

Uswitch’s checklist to keep energy bills as low as possible:  

CHECK

Check your meter readings are up to date. If you don’t have a smart meter, submit your latest readings on or around 1st April to ensure you’re charged the correct amount for the gas and electricity you’ve used. You should submit meter readings regularly, so your bills are accurate and your supplier can modify your direct debit to match your usage if necessary.

Check your monthly direct debit payments reflect your actual use and inform your provider if not. This ensures you’re not paying too much or too little. If you think you have too much credit in your account as we head into spring and summer, you may want to ask your supplier to return some of the excess. 

Check what energy support schemes or grants you, or any vulnerable friends or relatives, may qualify for. If you are struggling with your bills, there may be help available depending on your circumstances. The Government runs the Warm Home Discount scheme, where those eligible can receive £150 to help with bills during the winter, while councils are also offering help through the Household Support Fund. Many suppliers also have their own customer support funds, with some offering home insulation and energy-efficient white goods.

TRACK

Track your usage. Although bills are generally lower in the spring and summer, the price of energy is still historically high. It’s worth monitoring how much energy you’re using by downloading Utrack, a free mobile app that offers regular insights into your energy spend and includes useful tips on how to cut energy bills.

CHANGE

Change your heating timers once the temperatures rise. A third (32%) of households currently have their heating set to come on at least once a day[6]. You don’t want to be paying for heating once it warms up outside, so remember to turn your timers off once you feel ready to. 

Change your energy habits to save money. The arrival of warmer weather means that, if you have outside space, you can swap using the tumble dryer and heated airers for drying clothes for free outside. You may also be able to switch off any dehumidifiers. 

Change your energy tariff. Is it time to switch? Keep up to date with new deals by running a comparison at Uswitch.com, and sign up for email alerts so you can take advantage of a competitive deal. Tariffs are now being released that are cheaper than the April 1st price cap, and at the lowest levels since October 2021. 

Be the first to hear of the latest energy deals by running a comparison and signing up to Uswitch.com here.

Notes to Editor:

Research conducted online by Opinium, 1st to 5th March 2024, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.

1. Number of non-prepayment meter customers on SVTs = 24 million (Ofgem). At the end of September 2023, 60% of all domestic meters operated by large energy suppliers were smart meters (Smart Meter Statistics in Great Britain). 40% of 24 million customers = 9.6 million.

2. Based on average energy consumption in March and April, calculated at current and upcoming energy costs and standing charges. Energy penalty calculation based on 9.6 million people on SVTs paying £4.65 extra because they didn’t submit meter readings. 9.6 million x £4.65 = £44,640,000. 

3. Respondents were asked: ‘When did you last submit a meter reading to your gas or electricity provider? (Think about the most recent).’ 49% of respondents without a smart meter said ‘Within the last 30 days’, 21% said ‘Two to three months’, 6% said ‘Four to five months’, 5% said ‘Six to seven months’, 2% said ‘Eight to nine months’, 1% said ‘Ten to eleven months’, 4% said ‘More than a year’. 

4. Respondents who hadn’t submitted a reading in the past three months were asked ‘You mentioned you haven’t submitted a gas and/or electricity meter reading in the last three months. Which of the following describes why this is? Please select all that apply.’ 24% said ‘I forget to submit readings’, 17% said ‘It’s too much hassle’, 14% said ‘I don’t know how to’, 13% said ‘I don’t know how to submit the readings’, 13% said ‘I don’t think it will bring my energy bill down’, 12% said ‘I don’t know where my meter is’, 11% said ‘I don’t have time’, 10% said ‘I can’t access or reach my meter’, 26% said ‘Other reason’. 

5. Respondents were asked ‘Have you ever done any of the following when submitting a gas or electricity meter reading? Please select all that apply.’ 7% said ‘Mixed up my gas and electricity meter readings’, 7% said ‘Written down the digits for the reading in the wrong order’, 6% said ‘Mistyped the numbers’, 5% said ‘Added on a digit for the reading’, 5% said ‘Missed off a digit for the reading’, 2% said ‘Hurt myself in another way when trying to take a meter reading’, 1% said ‘Fallen from a height while trying to take a meter reading and hurt myself’, 78% said ‘None of the above’. 

6. Respondents were asked ‘Which of the following best describes how often your household’s central heating system is set to come on at the moment, if at all? Pick the option that is set most regularly’. 13% said ‘On during the day, then off at night’, 7% said ‘It is off during the day, but on during the night’, 9% said ‘Once a day’, 18% said ‘Twice a day’, 4% said ‘Three times a day’, 7% said ‘N/A - The central heating system is currently turned off’, 27% said ‘N/A - The central heating system isn’t on a timer, but it gets turned on manually as required’, 5% said ‘N/A - We do not have a central heating system’.

Chris Thomas

PR Contractor

v-chris.thomas@rvu.co.uk

About Uswitch 

Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles. 

More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.

Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings. 

Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.