Why is taking accurate meter readings important?

Taking accurate meter readings is an incredibly important part of renting or owning a property.

Meter readings ensure you only pay for the energy you actually use and by taking accurate meter readings, you can avoid receiving unexpected bills. This guide provides you with instructions on how to read your gas and electricity meters.

Why accurate meter readings matter

There are several key reasons to take accurate meter readings:

• Ensures you pay only for the energy you consume.
• Avoids unexpected bills based on estimated rather than actual usage.
• Allows you to monitor your energy consumption.

While more and more homes now have smart meters that send readings automatically, many still require manual readings.

How to read your meter

The process of reading your meter varies slightly based on the type of meter you have. If you have a smart meter, it should send readings automatically to your supplier. You can also view your usage on the in-home display.

For traditional meters, locate your gas and electricity meters and follow these steps.

• Single rate digital meter: Write down the first 5 numbers from left to right, ignoring any numbers after a decimal point or in red.
• Two rate digital meter: Write down the numbers on the top row (labelled “low” or “night”) and bottom row (labelled “normal” or “day”) from left to right. These track your usage at cheaper and standard rates.
• Dial meter: Read the first 5 dials from left to right, ignoring any red dials. If the pointer is between two numbers, use the lower number.

• Digital metric meter: Write down the first 5 numbers from left to right, ignoring any numbers after the decimal point (sometimes in red).
• Digital imperial meter: Write down the first 4 numbers from left to right, ignoring any numbers in red.
• Dial meter: Read the first 4 dials from left to right, using the lower number if the pointer is between two numbers.



Note that the difference between the digital metric and imperial meter is that the metric meter measures are shown in cubic meters (m3) while the imperial meter uses cubic feet (ft3).

Meter reading tips

To help ensure fair and accurate billing, here are some key meter reading tips:

• If you’re a tenant, take a meter reading at the start and end of your tenancy with your landlord present and record it on the inventory.
• Take photos of the meter readings with timestamps in case any issues arise.
• Provide regular meter readings to your supplier to ensure accurate billing.
• Contact your supplier if you think your bill is wrong based on your meter reading.
• If you can't access your meter, ask your supplier for help with reading or moving it. If you’re a tenant, contact your landlord or agent first.

Talk to your energy provider directly if you have any queries about your energy tariffs, for anything else, see how we can help.