Millions of UK households are being urged to read their energy meter and take a photo of the reading before Wednesday to avoid overpaying on their bills. Despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has pushed up wholesale energy costs, Ofgem’s energy price cap will fall by 7% from April 1, from £1,1758 to £1,641 per year – a reduction of £117 or around £10 per month for the average household using both electricity and gas.

The price cap taking effect from April 1 will also be the first to reflect Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ promise last November that £150 would be cut from the average household bill. This is being achieved by shifting 75% of the Renewables Obligation (RO) costs from household energy bills into general taxation and scrapping the Energy Company Obligation (Eco) scheme introduced by the Tories.

This will mainly be reflected in customer bills through a cut to households’ electricity unit rates, rather than a one-off amount. But the £150 is only an average, so amounts will vary based on the size and type of household and how much energy they use.

Ahead of the changes on April 1, energy price comparison and switching service Uswitch is urging households to read their meter and submit a reading by the end of this month.

According to Uswitch, almost six million households on standard tariffs need to read their meter before Wednesday to make sure they benefit fully from lower energy rates from April 1.

Homes on a standard tariff with average usage are expected to spend £97 on energy in April, compared with £166 in March, with the reduction down to a combination of cheaper rates and lower usage as temperatures rise.

Those on standard tariffs who don’t have a smart meter and don’t submit meter readings on or around April 1 risk having some of their usage charged under the older, more expensive March rates.

As such, households without a working smart meter are urged to submit a meter reading before Wednesday to avoid having some of their usage estimated and possibly charged at a higher rate.

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Households should take a moment to read their energy meter this weekend if they want to make the most of lower energy prices from April.

“Customers who don’t have a smart meter should submit their readings before or on Wednesday 1 April, so their supplier has an updated – and accurate – view of their account.”

MoneySavingExpert (MSE) also recommends taking a photo of your meter once you’ve taken a reading, that way you have evidence of the correct reading in case there are any issues with the amount you’re charged.

MSE said: “If you have smart meters that are working properly in smart mode, so they’re regularly sending meter readings to your provider, there’s no need to do anything, as they do it automatically.

“You may want to double-check your meters are sending reads, though. You can usually see this in your account or on your bill. You can also take a photo of your meters on the day, so you have the readings for safety.”