Exact date you need to do energy meter reading before Ofgem price cap rises

Sending an energy meter reading should be quick to do

Millions of households should take an energy meter reading at the end of this month before the Ofgem price cap increases.

The Ofgem price cap is rising from £1,834 a year to £1,928 on January 1, for a typical dual fuel household paying by direct debit. This marks a rise of £94 and the new, higher rate will be in place until March 31.

If you haven’t sent a recent meter reading to your supplier in a while, then you should aim to take one by December 31 so you’re not accidentally charged higher rates for the energy you’ve used before the price cap increase. How you take a reading depends on the type of meter you have.

Most standard electricity meters will require you to need to write down the first five numbers shown from left to right – if it shows some red numbers, you can ignore these. If you are on an Economy 7 or 10 electricity tariff, you may see two rows of numbers – you should note down both rows of numbers.

If you have a dial electricity meter, you’ll need to read the first five dials (these are numbered between zero and nine) from left to right – always check the direction of each dial before you start your reading, as each one turns in the opposite direction to the one before. Ignore any red dials.

Citizens Advice says if the pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower number. But if the pointer is between nine and zero, Citizens Advice says you should write down nine.

If the pointer is directly over a number, write that number down and underline it – then, if you’ve underlined a number, check the dial to the right and if the pointer on that dial is between nine and zero, reduce the number you’ve underlined by one.

If you have a digital metric meter, you only need to write down the first five numbers from left to right – you can ignore the numbers after the decimal point. For a digital imperial meter, you only need to read the four black numbers – ignore the two red numbers.

If you have a dial gas meter, the steps are the same as those with a dial electricity meter, but you don’t need to underline any numbers where the pointer has landed directly on it. Once you have your reading, you’ll need to send it to your supplier, either online or over the phone.

If you have a smart meter, you shouldn’t need to do a meter reading – these devices should automatically send out your usage data for you. The Ofgem price cap doesn’t set a total limit on what you can pay for energy – instead, it puts a limit on how much you can be charged for unit rates and standing charges.

Standing charges are the amount you have to pay for energy, no matter how much you use. If you don’t pay by direct debit, the unit rates and standing charges under the price cap are a bit different. There are also regional differences that will affect what you pay.