Energy UK has stressed there is no need for consumers to urgently submit their meter readings ahead of the second Meter Reading Day organised by Martin Lewis.
Earlier this year Lewis, of MoneySavingExpert.com, encouraged consumers to submit their energy meter readings ahead of the record 1 April price cap increase.
This resulted in a number of retailers seeing increased call volumes and website traffic, leading to Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson likening the situation to queues experienced on the Ticketmaster website.
This weekend will see the government’s Energy Price Guarantee come into effect. Unit prices will be capped at £2,500 and Lewis has once again urged people to submit readings to suppliers on or around Friday (30 September).
A spokesperson for Energy UK told Utility Week: “There is no need to act urgently as most suppliers will accept readings for a few days either side, and offer numerous channels including text, email and apps, online account submissions, but these vary.
“Customers with a working smart meter (credit or prepayment) or on fixed-term tariffs, do not need to submit meter readings.”
Despite this, suppliers are preparing for high volumes of consumers submitting their readings.
A spokesperson for EDF Energy said the supplier has taken the decision to open the submission period for online meter readings from 1 to 7 October, meaning any reads provided in this period will be accepted as the 1 October reading.
“This is to provide more time for customers to provide their readings, recognising the importance of being able to submit a reading for this date as well as peoples’ busy schedules,” they said.
They added: “A previous meter reading day took place in March, which saw understandably large volumes of customers trying to call customer services as well as attempting to access the EDF website at the same time.
“By providing more options to customers to provide readings as well as opening up the period customers can provide reads, this will allow the phone lines to be available for our most vulnerable customers and those who need our support.”
Additionally, Eon has been sending information out to customers and advising them of ways to submit readings, as well as timelines.
A spokesperson said: “Our energy specialists are available to support customers as usual but the quickest and easiest way to give us a meter reading is through online accounts. For customers with a smart meter, you don’t need to give us a meter reading as we’ll get one automatically.
“Customers who don’t have a smart meter can send us a meter reading from five days before 1 October up to five days after – it doesn’t have to be on the day.”
A Scottish Power spokesperson meanwhile confirmed customers have until 5 October to submit readings and can do so 24/7 via the retailer’s app or online.
At Ovo customers can submit their meter readings via the app, online account, phone, WhatsApp or webchat and the company will accept submissions after 30 September via telephone.
These issues will be discussed in more detail at Utility Week Forum in London this November. For more information and to book your place, click here.