People have been warned to take a meter reading before energy bills rise on October 1.

Money saving expert Martin Lewis urged action before the price hike in order to avoid any discrepancies over energy usage.

The statement comes ahead of a rise in gas and electricity costs after Ofgem announced the limit on average household bills would increase by 80pc.

In response, prime minister Liz Truss announced a price freeze at £2,500 for the next two years, which is expected to cost the country £150 billion.

In his latest newsletter, the consumer champion said: "Meter reading day's coming but don't panic. Not everyone must do it and it needn't be on the day.

"With prices rising for most on October 1, unless you have a working smart or prepay meter, it's useful to feed in an updated meter reading around that date to avoid discrepancies over what you used before or after prices rose."

He said taking the reading a few days before is fine to avoid crashing energy suppliers' websites and phone lines on October 1.

Providing a meter reading before the price rise will help ensure you are only charged for the energy you have used after October 1, helping avoid extra costs.

This stops the provider from basing costs on estimates.

If you have a working smart meter or prepay meter, you don't need to do anything.

How do I take a meter reading?

Your energy supplier usually requires regular meter readings of your gas and electricity usage to calculate how much to charge each month.

The easiest way to take a meter reading is to take a picture of it and then submit it online.

Citizen's Advice has a useful guide for how to read different types of meters here.

What other energy bill help is coming?

From October 1, all households will receive a £400 energy rebate.

This will be split across six months from October to March next year.

Pensioners will also receive a one-off £300 payment in November and further help is also offered to people receiving disability benefits.