NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 05:42 ET
Key points
- Go.Compare urged households to submit a meter reading on Dec. 31 ahead of a January energy price cap reset.
- The regulator-set cap rises to £1,758 a year for a “typical” dual-fuel household paying by direct debit, up £3. GoCompare News+1
- Separate reports highlighted billing disputes tied to smart meters that fail to send readings, including a case involving Octopus Energy and solar panels.
Go.Compare on Monday urged British households to submit gas and electricity meter readings on Dec. 31, saying it can help prevent billing errors as the country’s energy price cap resets in January.
The timing matters because rates on “standard variable” deals — default tariffs for customers not on a fixed-price contract — are set to change from Jan. 1. A reading near year-end helps suppliers split usage between the outgoing and incoming rates rather than relying on estimates. GoCompare News+1
The warning comes as winter energy use typically rises and household budgets remain under strain, even with only a small change in the cap. Go.Compare said customers can still end up overcharged if suppliers have to guess usage.
Ofgem, Britain’s energy regulator, has set the price cap for Jan. 1 to March 31 at £1,758 a year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit, up from £1,755 in the previous quarter.
The cap limits the price suppliers can charge per unit of energy and the daily standing charge on standard variable tariffs, but it is not a ceiling on a household’s total bill, which depends on consumption.
“Log a meter reading as close to the end of December as possible,” Gareth Kloet, an energy expert at Go.Compare, said. GoCompare News
Go.Compare said customers should send a “snapshot” of their readings even if they have a smart meter — a digital meter designed to transmit readings automatically — because it may not always communicate in real time. GoCompare News
A Go.Compare survey found 16% of British bill payers said they could not afford any further energy price increases, and 29% said they were worried about the cost of their energy bills. The company said the poll was conducted by Censuswide in September.
The Sun newspaper also warned households without smart meters to submit readings before or on Jan. 1, saying suppliers could otherwise estimate December usage and apply January rates to some consumption.
It said the deadline for submitting a reading can vary by supplier and advised customers to check their provider’s guidance.
The Sun cited comparison site Uswitch as saying some fixed-price deals on the market are cheaper than the new cap for an average household, encouraging customers to shop around if they can switch.
Concerns about estimated billing have also surfaced for some customers with smart meters. The Times reported that an Octopus Energy customer with 36 solar panels and battery storage received a bill of £3,436.23.
Octopus told The Times the customer’s first-generation smart meter was not properly communicating with the company’s systems, which led to incorrect charges, the paper reported.
Go.Compare said customers should review their energy tariff ahead of the January change, particularly those on variable deals, and check standing charges, unit rates and any early-exit fees before moving to a fixed-rate plan.
The company said 12% of people responsible for their household’s energy supplier were nervous about switching, and urged customers struggling to pay to contact suppliers early to discuss support such as payment plans.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and operates a comparison service for energy tariffs as well as other financial products.
