Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has advised people to take a reading today ahead or the price rise on April 1

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People have been urged to take readings of their gas and electricity today ahead of tomorrow's price increase which will see costs rise by up to 54 per cent after the energy price cap - the maximum suppliers can charge.

It means as of April 1, people in England, Scotland and Wales could be paying as much as £700 more for their energy usage. The rising cost has meant Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has already advised people to read their meters today to make sure they don't pay too much for supplies used before the hike starts.

Those with a smart meter do not have to do anything but everyone else is advised to give their supplier proof of how much energy was used under the old price to stop paying any unnecessary cost.

READ MORE: E.On apologises for 'ill-considered' Martin Lewis tweet as it issues update for customers taking meter readings

Martin Lewis has also warned people not to break the law by trying to con the energy companies with false readings. 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."

But with a range of different meters it can be difficult to be sure you are doing it right. Citizens Advice have come up with a handy guide on how to tackle each one.

A digital meter has an electronic or digital display. It will show 5 numbers in black or white, and might be followed by 1 or more red numbers.

If you get cheaper electricity at certain times, you might have a two rate (or ‘dual-rate’) meter. This means it will have 2 rows of numbers.

The top row (labelled ‘low’ or ‘night’) shows how many units of cheaper electricity you’ve used.

The bottom row (labelled ‘normal’ or ‘day’) shows how many units of standard-price electricity you’ve used.

Some two rate (or ‘dual rate’) meters only have 1 digital display. They will either flash up the different rate readings in a cycle or have a button that you need to press to make the display cycle through the readings for the different rates.

To read the meter write down the numbers shown left to right, for each reading.

An electricity dial meter has five or more dials. They each turn to point to a number between 0 and 9.

Each dial on your meter will turn in the opposite direction to the ones next to it. Some dial meters start with a clockwise dial and some start with an anticlockwise dial - check the direction of your dials before you read them.

If you’ve underlined a number, check the next dial to the right. If the pointer on that dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the number you’ve underlined by 1. For example, if you originally wrote down 5, change it to 4.

Firstly, make sure it is not your in-home display.

When you get a smart meter installed, you'll also normally get a small portable device with a screen on it. This is called an ‘in-home display’ (IHD) or a ‘smart energy monitor’ - it either plugs into a socket or runs on batteries.

It can be easy to confuse your smart meter with your IHD.

You might be able to take a reading from the IHD but it’s best to take one from the meter itself. The meter will be fixed to a wall or board - it’s usually somewhere like a kitchen cupboard or a box on a wall outside your home.

The way you take a reading from a smart electricity meter depends on the type of meter you have.

If your meter has a keypad

Start by checking if you pay:

Most people pay a single rate at all times. If you have an ‘Economy 7’ meter, you pay two rates. If you’re not sure, check your bill to see if you pay two rates.

If the meter has A and B buttons

If your meter has a green A button and white B button below it

Start by checking if you pay:

Most people pay a single rate at all times. If you have an ‘Economy 7’ meter, you pay 2 rates. If you’re not sure, check your bill to see if you pay 2 rates.

If your meter has three buttons to the right of the screen

Again, check to see if you pay a single or two rates.

Ignore any zeroes at the beginning of numbers and any numbers after the decimal point. You’ll only need the ‘total’ reading if your supplier asks for it.

If you have one orange and two blue buttons

These meters have a row of numbers followed by KWH.

If you have a meter with two white buttons to the right of the screen

Your meter should have ‘Kaifa MA 120’ printed on it. It will automatically change between four different screens, so you don’t need to press anything.

If your meter has two buttons to the right of the screen and one says 'reconnect'

Your meter will have one button which says ‘reconnect’ and another button which says ‘display’ or ‘display select’.

If your meter has a green A button and a grey B button to the right of the screen