Five million customers of major UK energy suppliers—British Gas, EDF, EON, Ovo, and Octopus—are being urged to submit their meter readings before the end of Tuesday. This action is vital ahead of Ofgem’s new price cap, which comes into force on Wednesday, July 1.
Without an up-to-date meter reading, approximately 5.3 million households risk facing higher energy bills than necessary once the price cap adjusts. This group primarily includes those on standard tariffs without smart meters, underscoring the importance of manual meter submissions.
Ben Gallizzi, an energy expert from the price comparison site Uswitch, emphasized the importance of accurate readings: “Customers without smart meters should submit their readings before or by Wednesday, 1 July, to ensure suppliers have a precise account of their usage.”
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Despite the price cap increase, Gallizzi highlights that bills do not have to rise accordingly: “Currently, there are 27 fixed-rate deals available that are cheaper than the new July price cap.”
However, the rising costs have serious consequences. James Mabey, policy analyst at fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, warned, “Energy debt can lead to cold homes, increased anxiety, and difficult choices about essential needs. Scaling up debt relief is the right response.”
Echoing concerns about affordability, Nigel Pocklington, CEO of Good Energy, called for urgent market reform. “The surge in energy bills has become a financial crisis for millions of UK households. Many are struggling to meet current payments, let alone cope with increases,” he said.
Pocklington urged the next prime minister to present a clear strategy to reduce dependence on high gas prices and lower energy bills sustainably. “There is still time to achieve this goal by decoupling electricity prices from gas, allowing consumers to benefit fully from affordable, homegrown clean energy,” he added.