Overview
- Lewis, who shared the tip Friday via his podcast and a clip on X, says early May is when direct-debit accounts should carry the least credit.
- He says energy firms are sitting on over £3 billion of customer cash that consumers can request back.
- He urges people to submit a fresh meter reading or rely on a smart meter so the balance reflects real use before asking for a refund.
- His rule of thumb is to keep no more than about one-and-a-half months of payments in credit, for example a £200 monthly payer with £600 saved should ask for £300 back.
- Paying by monthly direct debit often costs less than paying on bill, yet because firms base payments on annual estimates you can overpay through the year and usually hold the most credit in early November.