One is coming up soon, and taking action could help people get cheaper bills
Avoid making four expensive mistakes this year with your energy bills(Image: Getty)
People across the UK are being urged to write down four dates in their 2026 calendars, as these dates may help them reduce their household costs. Energy bills can be one of the more expensive outgoings when you own or rent a home. This is especially true in the winter months, when more energy is used to stay warm and comfortable.
Certain homes could end up spending more than they need to on these bills. But by setting four reminders on your phone, you could help reduce substantial guesswork and potentially keep more money from leaving your bank account at the end of the month.
The gas and electricity used by each home in the UK will be different. Some may use a lot more than others, but if people are forgetting to submit meter readings when they should, they are essentially leaving the finances in the hands of energy companies to decide what their bills look like each month.
People can take some control and avoid paying a penny more than they need to by remembering to complete a simple job four times a year. Marking down these specific dates could help people get the most accurate bills before any major changes.
Dates to set a reminder for:
- Tuesday, March 31
- Tuesday, June 30
- Wednesday, September 30
- Thursday, December 31
These dates all fall just a day before the regular Ofgem energy price cap changes. If you are on a standard variable tariff and do not have a smart meter, you might want to manually send an energy meter reading, as failing to do so could result in incorrect billing.
Households might end up paying more than they need to if they don’t submit the right reading in advance. Bills are based on estimated usage rather than the actual amount of gas and electricity used.
The team at Martin Lewis‘ Money Saving Expert (MSE) says that people should try to submit sooner if possible, as this could help avoid queues and website delays, as many people pile into service providers to share the latest readings from their homes.
If you have a smart meter, this sends automatic readings to your energy supplier. You do not need to do anything to make sure you are being billed correctly.
Citizens Advice claimed that, if people don’t send their energy supplier any readings, the company will estimate their usage. This means your bill might be too low, but more often than not, it could be too high.
How to take an accurate gas or electric meter reading
There are a handful of different versions of gas and electricity meters across the UK, with homes having different kinds depending on when they were built or fitted. Some homes might have digital displays, whilst some have a system of small dials.
Citizens’ Advice has a page on its website dedicated to helping people work out how to submit the correct readings with pictures to help people match up the guide to their own at-home system.
Call your supplier to give them the readings – or check if you can submit one on their website or app. If you can’t get to your meter, your energy supplier might be able to provide extra help to read or move it.