Martin Lewis has warned homeowners not to give false energy meter readings ahead of the price cap rising this week.
Ofgem is increasing its price cap this Friday (April 1) by an eye-watering 54%.
For those on a default tariff who pay by direct debit, the price cap is going up by £693 from £1,277 to £1,971.
Prepayment customers will see a bigger jump, with their price cap going up by £708, from £1,309 to £2,017.
The energy price cap isn’t an absolute cap on bills, as its name suggests - instead, it sets a limit on the rates a supplier can charge for each unit of gas and electricity you use.
With energy bills set to shoot up, Martin says he has been asked whether it is ok to give a false energy reading - and the answer is no.
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."
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Anyone who does give a manual reading could be visited by their energy company to ask to see your energy meter.
If they find your meter is different to what you supplied, you could face an unexpected bill.
Martin has been advising homes to take an accurate meter reading on March 31 before the price cap rises.
This way, you can tell your energy provider exactly how much gas and electricity you used ahead of the price cap increase.
The idea is that you're telling your energy provider that all your energy usage before April 1 should be charged at the current rate.
"You are drawing a line in the sand that says to them: all the energy I have used until this point should be charged at the cheap rate," explained Martin in an article on his MoneySavingExpert website.
"Do not estimate my usage, I am locking it down so you cannot charge me any more than the amount I've actually used from 1 April onwards."
It is important to send regular meter readings, otherwise your energy supplier will estimate your usage and you could end up being overcharged.
A digital meter will show five numbers in black or white, and might be followed by one or more red numbers.
To send a meter reading, you'll need to send the first five numbers shown from left to right (you can ignore any red numbers) to your energy supplier.
You should be able to do this over the phone, online or through an app.
