How do I take a meter reading?
Need help reading your gas or electricity meter? We have some tips on how to take a meter reading, whether you have a digital or dial meter.
The provisions of regular meter reading ensure that your energy invoices are accurate. You are then able to budget efficiently for your business.
Here are a few tips:
How to read a dial meter:
Read the dials from left to right, ignoring the dial marked 1/10. The pointer must be between two numbers, note down the lower number. If the pointer is between 9 and 0 then note down 9.
How to read a digital meter:
Submit all the digits that are shown, including the decimal point. If you have a meter that has more than one line, then submit both lines as they appear in the boxes just as you see them on the meter.
How to Read a single rate or a multi rate meter:
Record the numbers from left to right. Ignore the red number(s). If the meter has more than a single line, then record all the seven numbers as they appear on the meter.
Reading your electricity meter
Digital meters
A digital electricity meter shows your current meter reading on a digital display. Here's how to read it:
- Read your meter display from left to right.
- Ignore any numbers in red and anything that appears after a decimal point or space.
Economy 7/Domestic Economy meters
If you've got an Economy 7 or Domestic Economy meter, you'll have two rows of figures on your digital display:
‘Low’ is the reading for night or off-peak units.
‘Normal’ is the reading for day or peak-time units.
You read your meter the same as a standard digital electricity meter.
Dial meters
Some older electricity meters have dials instead of a row of numbers. They're simple to read, but it may help you to write down the numbers as you go.
How to read an electric dial meter
- Read the dials from left to right. Ignore the dial marked 1/10.
- If the pointer on a dial is between two numbers, write down the lower number. But if the pointer is between zero and nine, it will always be nine. This is the case for the first and fourth dial on the diagram shown.
- If the pointer is exactly on a number but the reading on the dial after it is nine, take one away from that number.
