Money saving guru Martin Lewis has issued a stark warning to homeowners who might be tempted to give false meter readings ahead of price changes this week.
The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com has been issuing advice to homeowners across the country who have been grappling with rising costs due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Now homeowners are set to be faced with even more costs, as their gas and electricity bills are set to soar once more from Friday, April 1.
Households across Scotland and the rest of the UK are set to see "enormous" price hikes, with those on standard tariffs seeing an average increase of £693 - from £1,277 to £1,971 per year. Around 4.5 million prepayment customers will see an average increase of £708 - from £1,309 to £2,017, reports Hull Live.
To help with the rising costs, the expert has been sharing his top tips and advice to customers and recently advised homeowners to take a meter reading on Thursday, March 31.
And Martin has cautioned those who may be tempted to provide a false manual meter reading as they could face consequences.
Martin Lewis says people have been asking him if they can give false readings before the April 1 rise. He said on Twitter: "Many asking me Q. Can I give a falsely inflated meter reading on 31 March - so I get more at the cheap rate that I use in April? A. That's called fraud I'm afraid."
Theoretically if you gave a higher reading on March 31 you would get more of your energy at a cheaper rate. But anyone who does give a manual reading could be visited by a representative of the energy company to ask to see your energy meter.
Most companies tell customers they must use a smart meter to ensure that the correct reading is being used.
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