Hi,

Firstly, and just to clarify, it is only gas meters that record in imperial (cubic feet) or metric (cubic meters). These are measurements of volume, that are converted into kWh for the purpose of billing. There is no such thing as a metric or imperial electric meter, as electricity is recorded in kWh anyway..

To convert gas units to kWh, you need to use the following formula, if you already have a metric meter (cubic meters) you miss the first step ( x 2.83). As a note, the calorific value can change, best to check your bill to see the current one but its usually about 39.something.

gas units used x imperial to metric conversion factor (2.83) x volume conversion factor (1.022640) x calorific value (39.7) divided by kilowatt hour conversion factor (3.6) = kilowatt hours used.

It sounds like you have an imperial meter anyway, I don't think metric ones were even invented in 1989 to be honest.

With you having a 4 dial meter, its unlikely they will be adding another digit to make a "5 dial reading". due to the way your bills are calculated, this would make them far lower anyway. 1 unit on a 4 dial is worth far more than one unit on a 5 dial. (2.83 times more to be precise)

What I was saying about going round to 0000 and this being a problem is if they think your meter has done this but it hasn't. This is very rare and your supplier would have had to overestimate your bills massively and for a long time to get in this position. It doesn't effect your meter when it does go past 0000 though.. in 18 years its probably done about 4 or 5 laps round, as it is intended to do. Some meters have an expected lifespan of over 20 years, particularly older ones.

As far as your usage goes, what are your bills like and do you take readings every day at the same time to make a comparison? you may wish to try taking readings, to see what you are using on a daily basis. Also, when was the last time your boiler was serviced and is it old or new? These things do make a difference if not maintained.

Hope this helps

G