Gas and Electricity Meters Guide - Part 1 of 4

Finding the cheapest tariff on our gas and electricity is one step towards securing the best available deal - however, these savings could be undone if you fail to take accurate readings from your electricity meter and your gas meter.

Your supplier may use estimates to calculate your monthly payments unless you prove how much you use each month. Therefore learning how to read a gas meter and how to read your electricity meter is crucial - as is ensuring that you are using the best type of meter for your needs.

However, what are the different types of gas and electricity meters, how do they work and how do you read them? This guide to gas and electricity meters will explain.

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What are standard meters and how do you read them?

Standard gas meters and standard electricity meters are the most common types of meters in homes across the UK.

To be technical, the most common form of standard meters are electromechanical induction meters. These count the number of revolutions on an aluminium disc which rotates at a speed that is proportional to the power used. Therefore, the number of revolutions indicates the energy used.

There are three different types of electromechanical induction meters which display the readings in different ways - they are standard, digital and dial meters.

• How to read a standard gas meter or a standard electricity meter

Both standard gas meters and standard electricity meters use a mechanical display with numbers. When reading your electricity meter or reading your gas meter you must work from left to right recording any black numbers and ignoring any red numbers if present.

• How to read a digital gas meter or a digital electricity meter

Digital meters are arguably the most straightforward. You simply read the first five figures on the digital display - but be sure to ignore a final figure if it begins with 0.1. You may need to press a button to get the reading to display.

• How to read a dial gas meter or a dial electricity meter

Dial meters are a little more complicated. You should read the numbers displayed on each dial from left to right but ignore a final red dial if it is present. If the needle on the dial is positioned between two figures then it is the figure it has just past that should be noted down. You should also adjust the reading to account for any variations - for example if the dial is directly over a figure, for example four, you should note that down and underline it. Then if one of the numbers is followed by a nine, reduce the underlined figure by one - so four, becomes three.

If you choose to take your own meter readings you can contact your power company by telephone, the internet or post. Usually they will send out a representative at least once a year to verify your readings and to perform a safety check.

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