Money experts issue Easter energy warning as millions of Brits could be ‘overcharged’

Key Points

• Brits urged to submit meter readings before April 1 to avoid overcharges from estimated energy use


• Ofgem’s price cap to drop by £117 from April 1, potentially lowering bills for standard variable tariff customers


• Energy bills expected to rise again in July, with forecasts predicting an 18% increase

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If there’s one thing many people will be doing before Easter, it’s grabbing an egg.

However, the team over at MoneySavingExpert claims there’s something else you should ensure you’re doing this week – and it has nothing to do with chocolate.

In a post on social media, they pointed out that the Ofgem energy price cap is dropping on Wednesday by 6.7%, and this means your bills may drop too.

And while this is mostly good news, they warn that there’s still a risk that some could be overcharged.

How to avoid being overcharged for energy following the price cap drop

Writing on Instagram, the experts said: ‘If there’s one thing you need to do before Easter… It’s submit a meter reading.’
They continued: ‘To avoid the risk of your supplier estimating that you’ve used more energy at the higher rate, you should aim to send an up-to-date reading within a few days of April 1 – even if you are on a fix!

‘You’d only need to do this if you DON’T have a working smart meter.’
For extra peace of mind, they recommend taking a picture of your meter reading, so you have proof.

How much will energy bills fall by in April 2026?

From April 1, the energy regulator’s price cap, which controls how much you can be charged, will drop from £1,758 to £1,641, which is a reduction of £117, fixed until the end of June.

This means that a typical household using electricity and gas will see its bills slashed by £117 for three months, or around £10 per month.

However, this is less than people were originally promised by the Chancellor, as the cut was expected to be around £150.

The exact discount you’ll receive on your energy bills will depend on the size of your household and the type of household, as well as the location, building type, how you pay your bills, and how much energy you regularly consume.

What is the energy price cap?

It was first introduced in 2019 to protect consumers from high prices.

The cap is reviewed every three months and applies to millions of households across England, Scotland, and Wales, on standard variable tariffs.

It’s also worth noting that the price cap only applies if you’re on the standard variable tariff (which more than half of UK households currently are), and if you never switched tariffs, or if your deal ended and you did nothing.

Those on a fixed or special tariff will not usually benefit from the price cap change directly.

However, some fixed tariffs can be lower than the energy price cap, so it might be worth shopping around for the best rates, according to Martin Lewis.

POLL

Have you submitted a meter reading ahead of the price cap change?

• Yes

• No

When will the price cap change again?

Following the drop on April 1, the price cap will next be updated in July.

And according to energy experts, the change in the summer will have a big impact.

Cornwall Insight has published its latest forecast for the energy price cap, and claims household energy bills will increase by almost a fifth in July.

This will mean an increase of £288 or 18% in annual bills.

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.