Experts urge everyone to submit their gas and electricity meter readings to their supplier as soon as possible, to show exactly how much energy has been used before the Ofgem price cap was raised from 1 April. This will prevent companies from valuing the use and possibly charging the energy used before April 1st at a higher rate. From now on, the bills will also have to send regular cash receipts – ideally on the same date each month – to prevent their supplier from overcharging as they move towards the summer months and use less heating. Many seemed to heed the calls on Thursday, with energy sites faltering with the influx of customers submitting their readings. Gillian Cooper, Citizens Advice’s energy policy director, said: “We recommend that you send cash receipts to your supplier before raising the price cap on 1 April. This means that your energy company will have an accurate picture of your usage before higher rates come “. How much will the prices increase? The maximum price of energy for those who have defaulted bills that pay with a fixed charge is increased by 693 £ from 1,277 £ to 1,971. From April 1. Prepaid customers will see a bigger leap, with their price cap rising by 70 708, from 30 1,309 to 2.0 2,017. For expert analysis and information on the biggest stories, listen to our podcast to find out what you need to know The regulator was forced to raise the energy price ceiling to a record 97 1,971 for a typical household as gas prices soared to unprecedented levels. The National Energy Action (NEA) charity on fuel poverty has warned that the cost of heating an average home has now doubled in 18 months, leaving 6.5 million households able to live in a warm and safe home across the UK . NEA CEO Adam Scorer said: “The quality of life for millions of people will plummet. Cozy houses, cooked food, hot water, clean clothes – everything is cut or cut. The debt will go up. Physical and mental health will suffer. “This energy crisis is going to bite hard on those who are less able to cope. Charities such as the NEA will try to collect the pieces for those who are most in need. It will be an almost impossible task. “ But I can not post my reading online, what do I do? Customers reported problems logging in to supplier sites, including British Gas, EDF, E.On, SSE, So Energy and Octopus Energy as early as Thursday. Scottish Power, for example, told customers it had increased its website capacity by 500%, but still could not meet the “unprecedented demand”. However, Energy UK, the retailer for the industry, urged people not to worry if they were not able to submit a meter reading before Friday. He said: “Most vendors offer alternatives, such as submitting at a later date, and different methods of sending metrics, such as text, social media and email. “This shows the magnitude of the problem and how much people are worried about high prices, so we asked the government to intervene to provide further support to consumers.” Financial expert Martin Lewis has suggested a number of steps people can take if their providers’ website crashes, such as:
Take a photo of the reading accompanied by something that showed the time and date in case of future disagreement Try to submit online readings later when the sites are up and running Check to see if vendors offer alternative ways to send reading And, if you have a smart meter, your readings will be sent automatically.
What help is available? Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vowed to “take the bite out” of price increases, promising that all 28 million households in Britain will receive a 200 200 discount on their energy bills by October. The government will provide the cash for this, but it wants the money back, so it will increase the bills by £ 40 per year for the next five years from 2023 to recover its cash. How much support will households receive? Consumer author Chris Choi explains If all goes according to plan, wholesale energy prices will be reduced so that households can repay what they owe, without a significant increase in bills. Some energy companies are concerned that, although good in principle, the policy is highly dependent on falling global gas prices. But experts are not sure this will happen, at least not soon. Goldman Sachs has already warned that gas market prices are likely to remain at double normal levels by 2025. Mr Sunak also promised a 150 150 tax deduction for A to D houses, which he said would cover about 80% of homes in England. He also promised 4 144m to councils to support vulnerable people. I’m worried about these increases, what other support is available? If you have a low income or are claiming a pension credit, you may be eligible for a Warm Home Discount through your supplier. This reduces bills with a one-time 140. Discount sometime between September and March – something that will deduct your bill instead of being paid directly to you. You should contact your vendor to confirm your eligibility and apply, although the number of discounts a vendor can offer is limited. If you are lagging behind in payments, there are suppliers who offer grants. The Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) lists the suppliers that offer grants: If none of these companies supply your energy, you can apply for a grant through the British Gas Energy Trust, as you do not need to be a customer. Applications can be time consuming. For help, CAB advises contacting one of its advisors or contacting Money Helper. Simple Energy Advice, meanwhile, offers a tool on its website to track grants available in your area. Your local council can also provide various grants. Prices will vary depending on your place of residence While raising the energy price ceiling affects everyone, there will be small fluctuations in total costs across the UK. This can be affected by how much an energy company in your area sells, how much it buys from generators and the different charges imposed on the supplier by the local distribution networks. If you live in a remote area with a limited number of households using energy, for example, suppliers will try to recoup the cost of supply by charging more energy in that area. The most expensive areas in the UK for energy are usually Merseyside and southern Wales. while the cheapest are in the north of Scotland and the East Midlands.
