Most energy companies now request us for our own electricity meter readings; hence, it is important to know precisely what to do. Electricity meters can vary however they essentially tell you the amount of electricity you have used.
You then relay that information to your electricity supplier who is then able to issue you with an accurate bill.
Where the electricity meter can be found
Electricity meters are usually located inside your building, unlike gas meters which are often in the garden against an outside wall.
In a house, the electricity meter is highly likely to be in a cubby hole or cupboard under the stairs or in the kitchen, however, should you be living in a flat there may be several electricity meters in a more communal area.
You ought to be given access to your meter should you live in a shared building, however, you could have to ask for access or permission from the property manager or landlord.
Single register digital electricity meter
Should you have a digital meter, one or two rows of numbers are usually visible.
These rows are known as registers.
There ought to be six numbers in a row, the first six are black and the sixth is red.
- When you are taking your electricity meter reading you ignore that final number – so in all, you take down all of the numbers apart from the rightmost digit, labelled 0.1.
In the example above, the reading is 7676.
Double register digital electricity meter
This type of electricity meter has two rows, or registers. It functions in a similar way to the single register meter, however, they are designed more so for households on split tariffs.
If you are on a tariff which gives you lower off-peak electricity but charges higher on peak rates you are likely to have a meter with two rows of figures.
- The top row records your electricity use during off peak hours and it is usually marked with “LOW”, “NIGHT” or “RATE 1”.
- The bottom row records your electricity use at the normal rate and is normally marked “NORMAL”, “DAY”, or “RATE 2”.
Dial meter
A dial meter has six small dials which need to be read from left to right, with the last one being ignored. It is of note that these dials move in opposite directions. Hence, ensure you know which direction they move in prior to attempting to read the meter.
When taking a meter reading from a dial meter, ensure that you note down the number the pointer has passed. You need to be aware that this may not necessarily be the number nearest to the pointer. Therefore, say the arrow points between 3 and 4, you would right down 3.
If the pointer lies directly over a number then you ought to write down that number and underline it.
Should the following number be a 9 then you will need to reduce the underlined number by one.
Electronic electricity meter
You could have an electronic meter should you be on an Economy 7 price plan, or another similar split rate tariff.
Electronic meters are very easy to read; you just press the button on the front and read the display.
The meter always highlights the charging rate presently used.
For meter use simply follow the instructions applicable to your meter. The manufacturer’s name is to be found on the front of the meter.
