Benefit from price cuts - read your meters
Posted by Sam Smith on 24th January 2012 to Debt News
It was announced last week that energy providers are cutting prices over the next couple of months, in line with falling wholesale prices. Although these cuts aren’t huge, it is good for bill payers who have found recent increases in living and fuel costs a struggle. However there is a slight catch, customers bills will not automatically see a reduction unless they have a meter reading.
By law the energy providers are only required to take readings twice a year and often the bills are estimated usage for the year – therefore it’s up to the customer to take the meter reading and supply it to the energy provider at the time of price cut date.
James Tallack, a policy adviser at Which?, says: ‘If a tariff changes and you don’t know the actual energy you have used, it is easy to get overcharged – the only way to avoid it is to provide a meter reading on the day of the price change.
‘Providers must notify any tariff changes by letter within 30 days, but it is still up to the customer to provide the accurate reading.’
On average a typical household spends around £1345 per year on energy bills. Energy comparison website energyhelpine.com advises that if customers regularly keep an eye on and supply energy providers with meter readings they typically save around £350 per year.
Sam Smith
DFH offer a range of debt solutions tailored to your individual circumstances. These include IVA, Debt Management Plans & Debt Consolidation Loans. If you are worried about debt, contact of our trained debt advisor's today.
By law the energy providers are only required to take readings twice a year and often the bills are estimated usage for the year – therefore it’s up to the customer to take the meter reading and supply it to the energy provider at the time of price cut date.
James Tallack, a policy adviser at Which?, says: ‘If a tariff changes and you don’t know the actual energy you have used, it is easy to get overcharged – the only way to avoid it is to provide a meter reading on the day of the price change.
‘Providers must notify any tariff changes by letter within 30 days, but it is still up to the customer to provide the accurate reading.’
On average a typical household spends around £1345 per year on energy bills. Energy comparison website energyhelpine.com advises that if customers regularly keep an eye on and supply energy providers with meter readings they typically save around £350 per year.
Sam Smith
DFH offer a range of debt solutions tailored to your individual circumstances. These include IVA, Debt Management Plans & Debt Consolidation Loans. If you are worried about debt, contact of our trained debt advisor's today.
