Here is the latest news and helpful tips on reducing your businesses gas and electricity costs from United Gas & Power.
22 February 2017
It's a good idea to know your gas and electricity meters readings. You can keep an eye on the energy you're using and make sure your bills are accurate. Business electricity suppliers use meter readings to determine how much to charge you. Your supplier may send someone to do a meter reading, but they may not always be able to get access or they may not come regularly. Without a reading, your supplier will use an estimate to work out your electricity bill. Estimates often lead to inaccuracies, but you can avoid this by submitting your own electricity meter readings.
There are four main types of electricity meter in use in UK businesses:
Digital meters can use two types of measurement: kWh or kVArh. The method of reading both meters is the same.
This is the easiest type of electricity meter to read:
Two rate digital meters are used if you are charged different prices for your electricity based on the time of day. You will see two rows on these meters. One will usually have a label such as "low", "off peak", or "night". The other will typically be labelled "normal", "peak", or "day".
If you have this type of meter, you have to read both numbers. The process for doing so is the same as reading the number on a single rate digital meter.
Electronic meters usually have two rates. You access the rates by scrolling through the screens. The screens will be labelled something like R1/R2, 1/2, L/N, Low/Normal, or Peak/Off Peak.
To read an electronic meter, press the blue button to rotate the screens. You can ignore the red button if there is one. On each screen, write down the numbers left to right. Ignore anything in red or anything after a decimal point.
Dial meters are more complicated to read than other types of meter, not least because the dials move in different directions. Here's how you do it:
Most commercial electricity suppliers will advise you to send a meter reading once a month. This is the best way to keep your electricity bills as accurate as possible.
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