Martin Lewis calls on British Gas, EDF, Octopus and OVO customers to ask for £180 back

Martin Lewis has issued a call to action for customers of energy companies such as British Gas, EDF, E. On, Octopus Energy, OVO and Scottish Power. He has urged households to 'ask for it back' as they could be owed up to £180 from their supplier.

The money-saving expert highlighted that May is the prime time for people to review their bills and the amount of credit on their account. Those who pay by direct debit typically pay a fixed amount each month, regardless of how much energy they use.

As energy usage generally decreases in spring and summer, many customers build up credit by paying for more than they've used. To get the latest money stories straight to your inbox twice a week sign up to our newsletter here.

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MoneySavingExpert revealed: "Energy firms are sitting on over £3 billion of our cash - around £180 per household. And a decent whack of that should be back in people's pockets."

According to The Express, Mr Lewis said: "So if you've done an up-to-date meter reading (or your smart meter has), your bill is up to date, and your direct debit is the right level, now is the perfect time to see if you've too much energy credit. More than a month's worth right now is certainly a lot, so ask for it back."

He acknowledged that it might be "tricky to do" as companies often "throw up lots of reasons to hold on to our cash", but he assured that by checking now, people can "defeat the timing excuse - making it all a lot easier."