The energy price cap for a typical household in England, Scotland, and Wales will rise by 4% beginning this Thursday. This increase means that the average monthly energy bill for households on standard tariffs will now be £1,723. The change is due to higher wholesale gas prices, which have been affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to Ofgem, the energy regulator. Over four million homes that are still on standard energy tariffs will be impacted by this increase. Households are being encouraged to submit their meter readings by the end of the month to avoid being charged higher rates for energy used before October 1. For households on standard tariffs with average energy use, the cost of energy in October is expected to be £145, compared to £109 in September. This increase of about a third is due to both cooler temperatures, which have led to higher energy use, and higher unit rates under the new price cap. Ben Gallizzi, an energy expert at Uswitch.com, recommended that households without smart meters submit their meter readings before or on Thursday, October 1, to ensure that their energy is charged at the correct rates rather than being estimated by suppliers. Ofgem adjusts the energy price cap every three months, mainly based on the cost of wholesale energy. The price cap was introduced by the government in January 2019 and sets a maximum price that energy suppliers can charge consumers for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy used in England, Scotland, and Wales. However, it does not limit total bills, as consumers still pay based on their actual energy consumption. This means that while the cost per unit of energy is capped, households with high usage may still face significant bills.