Martin Lewis explains three reasons why your energy bill could be wrong

19 October 2022, 12:07

Martin Lewis warns people to check they are paying the correct amount for energy. Picture: ITV/Getty

By Alice Dear

Martin Lewis has warned people to check that their energy provider is charging them the correct amount.

Martin Lewis has explained the three reasons why your energy bill could be incorrect.

With the cost of living crisis continuing to cause financial issues for most households across the United Kingdom, now is the time to ensure you are paying the correct amount.

During his show on ITV, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Martin explained to one woman who had emailed in the reasons why her bill could be wrong.

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The woman explained via email that her energy bill had jumped from £49 a month to £123, she wrote: "I have just received my new monthly direct debit from my energy provider and it has gone from £49 to £123 from September and then £181 per month from October 28. I am in credit of £200, is this correct, as this will be one week’s pension money?"

Martin Lewis told one caller there were three things they could do to check their energy bill is correct. Picture: ITV

Martin explained that there are three reasons why this could be incorrect, and these issues could also relate to others and their rising bills if they seem exceptionally high.

Are you giving regular meter readings or do you have a smart meter?

Martin explained: "If you don’t, you need to get in touch and do a regular meter reading because the estimate could be wrong."

Have you come off a cheap fix?

He continued to add: "The one other thing is, have you come off a cheap fix, in which case your bill would have risen by far more than double over the last year.

"If you’ve passed all those tests, then that would seem far too high for me."

Martin Lewis has told people to check if they are submitting regular meter readings, if they have just come out of a cheap fix and to use an online energy calculator. Picture: Getty

Are you using an online energy calculator?

The Money Saving Expert also suggested people use an online energy calculator to give them an idea of what they should be paying.

From there, you can then contact your energy supplier, he said: "Get in touch with the energy firm, call it up, politely - as the call centre operators haven’t done anything wrong - and say, please can you tell me why you’re putting my direct debit up.

"If they can’t justify it to you, then you have the right under energy firm licence conditions to have your direct debits lowered."