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How to read your gas and electricity meters

How to read your gas and electricity meters

If you have a smart meter, it should send us your readings automatically. But if you do need to send us a reading, you can find out more below.

Traditional electric key Pay As You Go meters

  • Insert the key into the meter and press the blue button to move through the different screens.
  • Screen H will show your meter’s current reading.
  • If you have a 2-rate meter move to screen J to view the second reading.
  • If you have a 3-rate meter move to screen L to view the third reading.

Traditional gas quantum card meters

  • If your gas meter has dials, please note the numbers in black.
  • If your meter has an LED screen, press the black button twice and then the red button to show the ‘Meter Index’ screen.
  • The Meter Index is your reading.

Traditional electricity meters

Electric 1 - rate meter

  • Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right.
  • Include any zeros at the start but ignore any digits in red or which come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Electric 2 - rate meter

  • If your meter has two rows of figures as seen below, it's a 2-rate economy 7 or white meter.
  • One reading is for your lower priced night-rate electricity - this will be marked 'low' or ‘rate 1’.
  • The other is for your day rate and is marked 'normal' or 'rate 2’.
  • Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right.
  • Include any zeros at the start but ignore any digits in red or ones that come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Electricity dial meter

  • An electricity dial meter has 5 or more dials. They each turn to point to a number between 0 and 9.
  • Starting with the far-left dial, write down the number that the pointer has just passed. For example, if the pointer is anywhere between 4 and 5, you should write down 4.
  • If the pointer is sitting directly over a number, write this down and underline it.
  • If you’ve underlined a number, check the next dial to the right. If the pointer on that dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the number you’ve underlined by 1. For example, if you originally wrote down 4, change it to 3.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Traditional gas meters

Gas imperial meter

  • If your gas meter has a row of five numbers, it's an imperial digital meter.
  • Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right including any leading zeros.
  • Ignore any numbers in red or ones that come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Gas metric digital meter

  • If the row is six numbers long, you have a metric domestic meter.
  • Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right including any leading zeros.
  • Ignore any numbers in red or ones that come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Gas dial meter

  • A gas dial meter has 4 or more dials. They each turn to point to a number between 0 and 9.
  • Starting with the far-left dial, write down the number that the pointer has just passed. For example, if the pointer is anywhere between 4 and 5, you should write down 4.
  • If the pointer is sitting directly over a number, write this down and underline it.
  • If you’ve underlined a number, check the next dial to the right. If the pointer on that dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the number you’ve underlined by 1. For example, if you originally wrote down 4, change it to 3.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Smart meters

FAQs

Last updated: 5 October 2024

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