Customers rushing to submit meter readings ahead of tomorrow’s new price cap sent websites of the big suppliers crashing, it was reported today.
Comparison sites and money experts were urging people to get their readings in ahead of the deadline to avoid being put on an estimated bill that reflects the new charging level.
Minimum tariffs for an average dual-energy household are set to rise by 54% to £1,971 to reflect the surge in wholesale gas prices over the past nine months.
Centrica-owned British Gas said its website was experiencing “some technical issues,” due to the rush of people trying to submit readings and warned it “might take some time to update your account today”.
Eon, another of the major suppliers, blamed money expert Martin Lewis for its website problems, though it later said that the tweet suggesting the money-saving specialist was “bringing down Britain” by urging people to submit readings, was a joke.
The rising cost of gas and electricity is part of a raft of rises that are predicted to result in one of the biggest hits to household incomes seen in decades.
Higher interest rates are pushing up mortgage and borrowing costs, while petrol has soared and global inflation is feeding through in rising prices everywhere.
Brokers have predicted the price cap might have to rise again to close to £3,000 to cover the shortage of gas due to the Ukraine war.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has introduced a £200 rebate for every household to cushion the impact of the new price cap on their energy bills.
It is a loan, however, and will be paid back in instalments of £40 a year over five years starting in 2023.
The warm home discount scheme has also been extended to 3mln households and the payment increased to £150.
Shares in Centrica dipped 1% to 81.2p.
-- updates for Eon--