Millions of households will see their energy bills rise again from today as the new price cap comes into force. The price cap is going up by 6.4% - but your bill is still based on how much gas and electricity you actually use.

The average dual fuel household paying by direct debit can expect to see their yearly rise from to £1,849 from April. This marks an increase of £111 a year, or £9.25 a month. To work out how much your bill will go up by, every £100 you spend on gas and electricity will rise to roughly £106.40.

This is the third increase in bills in recent months, after the price cap went up by 10% in October, followed by another 1.2% rise in January. The price cap does not put a limit on how much you can pay for energy - instead, it sets the maximum unit price you can be charged for gas and electricity, as well as the maximum daily standing charge, which is a fixed fee that you pay to be connected to the grid.

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It applies to standard variable rate (SVR) tariffs, so these are generally ones where you've not chosen to fix into a specific energy deal. There are around 22 millions homes currently covered by the price cap. Ofgem bases its price cap figure on how much energy it assumes the average household uses every year.

Ofgem says the typical home uses 2,700 kwh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas over 12 months. Even though the price cap figure represents a yearly bill, Ofgem actually updates its price cap every three months, so the new rates will remain in place until June 30, when it will then be revised again. It is updated every three months so Ofgem can reflect changing wholesale costs.

For direct debit households, the average unit rate for gas is rising from 6.34p per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 6.99p per kWh, while the standing charge is going up from 31.65p a day to 32.67p. The average unit rate for electricity is going up from 24.86p per kWh to 27.03p per kWh. The standing charge for electricity is decreasing from 60.97p a day to 53.80p a day.

There are different unit rates for prepayment customers and those who pay on receipt of bills. The price cap for someone paying by pre-payment meter is rising from £1,690 a year to £1,803, and the yearly charge for someone who pays on receipt of bill is rising from £1,851 to £1,969. Unit rate prices vary by region, so your location can also effect your energy bill. Use our energy bill calculator below to see how your bill will change from tomorrow.

The current cheapest energy fixes are roughly 7% below the current January price cap, and 14% below the April price cap, so experts are recommending doing a comparison online now to see what deals are available to you. You can use the MoneySavingExpert.com to see the top fixes for you.

It is also worth doing a check of your home to make sure it is as energy-efficient as possible, such as checking your insulation levels in the loft and walls, and for drafts around windows and doors. You could also consider upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and lighting.

Now we are approaching summer, many households will be turning their heating off, which will save you money over the next few months. However, it is still worth doing a basic check of how much electricity and gas you are currently using and whether there are any easy changes you can make to lower your consumption.

If you are struggling to pay your energy bill, speak to your supplier as soon as possible to discuss what options are available to you. Not paying your energy bill can have some serious financial impacts on you as it can damage your credit score, and can even result in court action and visits from debt collectors.

Most energy firms offer energy grants to their customers. Exact eligibility requirements vary – for example, some say you need to be in receipt of certain benefits – and you normally need to have spoken to a debt advisor first. You can find out what help is available, who is eligible and how you can access it through your supplier's website.