With the winter beginning to creep in and the days getting noticeably colder, households across the country will be cranking up their heating.

With this increase in energy usage, most will begin to notice an increase in what they are spending on their energy.

While an increase in energy bills is natural for this time of year, you may begin to suspect that what you are paying is too high.

What should I do if I think my energy bill is too high?

In Cumbria: Energy bills will normally increase in the winter when heating is used more (Getty)Energy bills will normally increase in the winter when heating is used more (Getty) (Image: Getty)

Estimated bills

If you think the bill sent to you by your UK energy supplier is too high, Citizens Advice recommends that, if your bill is estimated, you send your meter reading to your supplier for a more accurate charge.

It adds that you do not need to pay a bill if it is estimated - something that is indicated in the letter.

You should send your readings to your supplier each month to ensure your bill is correct.

Direct debit

Energy bills which are paid for through direct debit are usually based on an estimate of the amount of energy you'll use.

If you use more than is expected, your payments will increase.

If you have concerns about the bill, you should challenge the increase and ask them to explain it.

They must then explain to you clearly how they reached the figure and give you the meter readings they used.

You should then check these meter readings against the meter readings on your bill to ensure they are the same.

If you're still not happy, you should ask your supplier to lower the bill to reflect your usage. If this does not work, you should make a formal complaint to them.

Things you should check

If the bills you have received are accurate but are much higher than you were expecting, you should consider looking at appliances like tumble dryers, plug-in heaters and hot tubs to cut down on costs.

You should also check if your supplier has put their prices up by looking at previous bills and checking if your 'unit price' or 'standing charge' has changed.

It is also possible that you've been billed based on someone else's meter readings. If there is a big difference between bills, there may be an error.

Finally, you should check to see if your meter is faulty.