An energy bill’s two most significant components are meter readings and energy rates. The only way to ensure that you only pay for what you use is to provide meter readings to your supplier. Without them, your energy provider will estimate how much energy you consume and base your bill on that.
On the other hand, energy rates are the fees your supplier levies for each unit of energy you consume. We will cover both how to read a meter and how to make sure you’re getting the best deal in this guide.
Reading gas or electricity meter
Let us now find out how to read electricity meter. Kilowatt-hours, or kWh, will be written next to the five numbers on your electricity meter before the decimal point.
Older gas meters have four digits before the decimal point and display their measurement in cubic feet (ft3). Modern gas meters have five numbers and measure in cubic meters (m3).
Your meters will have a distinct Meter Serial Number (MSN). Your energy bills will also list the MSN according to the breakdown of meter readings. If your neighbors’ meters are in the same location, you can use the MSN to verify that you are reading your own and matching the correct meter to the gas or electricity.
Electricity
Kilowatt-hours (kWh) are measured by electricity meters, which frequently have an analogue or digital display with easy-to-read numbers. Any red numbers should be ignored as you read the first five digits as your meter reading.
Economy Meter
Your electricity meter will show two readings if you are on an economy meter. One for peak hours (designated as “normal” or “day”) and one for off-peak hours (designated as “low” or “night”). On pre-payment meters and digital displays, you might have to switch between two screens labelled Rate 1 and 2.
You can check that on-peak and off-peak hours are being recorded correctly by looking for a red flashing light indicating whether the meter is currently recording on-peak or off-peak usage.
Gas
When calculating how much you owe for gas, your supplier will convert the cubic meters or cubic feet measured by gas meters into kWh.
Digital Meters
Digital meters are now being installed in many homes, which allows your supplier to receive automatic meter reads up to every half hour.
However, some older smart meters turn into “dumb” and can no longer send automatic meter reads to your new supplier when you switch suppliers, so you will need to start reading them again. If you have an energy monitor, it might be simpler to find the meter reading than to navigate to the right screen on a smart meter.
Prepaid Meters
Pre-payment meters don’t require meter readings from households but keeping track of your energy usage can be helpful even if you don’t. You can typically cycle through different screens on your meter using a button, including ones that display your standing charge costs and the remaining credit on your account. Get in touch with your supplier, who can send you a manual and instructions for your specific meter.
Conclusion
Giving your energy provider regular meter readings is a good idea. By doing this, you only pay for what you use, not what they estimate you will use.
Your supplier will only send you estimated bills if you regularly read your gas and electricity meters. It could mean you’re paying for more than you’ve used — which no one wants to do— or less — in which case you might have a sizable amount of debt to pay off down the road or higher monthly payments. It’s wise to read your meter every one to two months to prevent this.
