Advice has been given for households to give a meter reading ahead of the energy price cap increase on Friday which will go up by 54%.

This is so to calculate how much energy the household used before the price and after it.

It means energy hikes will rise by £693 a year for millions of households after regulator Ofgem hiked the price cap on bills to £1,971.

The energy regulator is responsible for the energy price cap which limits how much providers can charge customers on their energy bills.

This increase follows a 12% rise in October and will take effect this week.

The energy price cap increase comes as households across the UK are facing increasing financial pressure amid the cost-of-living crisis with everyday goods such as food, clothes and petrol on the rise.
Smart meters will send a reading to your energy supplier for you, but it would probably be safe to make a note of what it states to quote back to your provider if needed.

For a single rate digital meter, you should see five numbers in black or white, followed by one or more red numbers. Write down these first five black or white numbers, ignoring the others.

Meanwhile, for a two rate digital meter, you’ll have two rows of numbers. The top one, labelled ‘low’ or ‘night’, shows how many units of cheaper electricity you’ve used, while the lower one, labelled ‘normal’ or ‘day’, shows how many units of standard-price electricity you’ve used.

This only applies to people who pay less for electricity at certain times.

You should record the first five numbers of both rows, ignoring any numbers shown in red.

Be sure to note the date you took the reading on, and take pictures for safety.

For more information and tips to reduce your energy consumption, visit:

www.homeenergyscotland.org

Speaking on the Martin Lewis Money Show earlier this month, he explained: "That way you draw a line in the sand that says to your energy firm, I've only used this amount at the cheaper rate.

"Don't start charging me more on the higher rate and estimating I use some of it afterwards."

The sentiment was echoed by the comparison website, GoCompare.

Gareth Kloet, GoCompare’s energy spokesman, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is hitting everyone – so if there’s a way to shave money off your bills this April, we would urge all bill payers to take both gas and electricity meter readings on March 31 and make sure you submit these to your supplier.

“And if you pay by direct debit, it might also be a good time to look at revising your monthly payments to take into account the higher rates.”

Sending regular meter readings is important so that energy suppliers don't estimate the amount of enery you might use and overcharge you.