How to take a meter reading

Accurate meter readings are crucial for preventing estimated bills and ensuring you only pay for the energy you actually use. Understanding how to read your electricity and gas meters gives you precise control over your energy consumption and helps you manage household costs effectively.

With Fuse Energy, submitting your meter readings is straightforward through the app, helping to keep your bills accurate and reflective of your usage. Click here to switch to Fuse Energy today.

Why accurate meter readings matter

Submitting regular, accurate meter readings is a simple step that significantly impacts your energy bills and overall financial management. It ensures transparency and helps you stay on top of your household expenses.

Avoiding estimated bills

Energy suppliers often send estimated bills if they do not receive regular meter readings. These estimates are based on your previous usage or the average for your area, which might not reflect your actual consumption. An estimated bill could be higher than what you have used, meaning you are overpaying, or lower, leading to a larger catch-up bill later. Providing accurate readings avoids this guesswork, ensuring your bills reflect precisely how much energy you have consumed.

Understanding your energy usage

Knowing your actual energy usage empowers you to make informed decisions about your energy consumption. By regularly checking your meter, you can identify periods of high usage, understand which appliances consume the most energy, and adjust your habits to save money. This proactive approach helps you manage your energy more efficiently and avoid surprises when your bill arrives.

Ensuring fair charges

The UK energy market is regulated by Ofgem, which ensures fair practices for meter readings and billing. Accurate readings are fundamental to this system, as they guarantee that you are charged correctly for the energy you consume. Without them, you risk paying for energy you haven't used or facing large, unexpected bills to cover under-estimated periods.

How to read your electricity meter

Electricity meters come in various forms, each requiring a slightly different approach to reading.

Digital electricity meters

Most modern digital electricity meters display your reading as a series of numbers on an LCD screen.

1. Locate the display: Your reading will typically be a single row of numbers.
2. Record the numbers: Write down all the numbers you see, usually from left to right, ignoring any numbers in red or after a decimal point. These often represent fractions of a unit and are not needed for your reading.
3. Multi-rate meters: If you have an Economy 7 or other multi-rate tariff, your digital meter will show two rows of numbers, often labelled '1' and '2', or 'Peak' and 'Off-Peak'. Record both readings. You might need to press a button to cycle through the different displays.

Dial electricity meters

Dial meters can be tricky, but once you understand the principle, they are straightforward.

1. Identify the dials: Most dial meters have five or six dials, each with numbers from 0 to 9.
2. Read from left to right: For each dial, record the number that the pointer has just passed. If the pointer is directly on a number, look at the dial to its right. If that dial's pointer is between 9 and 0 (meaning it hasn't completed its rotation), then record the lower number for the current dial. If the dial to the right has passed 0, then record the number the pointer is on.
3. Ignore red dials: Some meters have a red dial or a dial marked '1/10'. Ignore these.

Economy 7 meters

Economy 7 meters record electricity usage at two different rates: a day rate and a night rate. This allows for cheaper electricity during Off-Peak hours, typically overnight.

1. Locate the readings: These meters usually have two sets of numbers on a digital display or two rows of dials. They might be labelled 'Low' and 'Normal', 'Night' and 'Day', or 'Rate 1' and 'Rate 2'.
2. Record both readings: Make sure to note down both the 'low' (night) and 'normal' (day) readings. On digital versions, you might need to press a button to toggle between the two displays.

Prepayment meters

Prepayment meters require you to top up credit before you use energy. While they do not typically require manual readings for billing, knowing how to check your balance and usage is helpful.

1. Check the display: Most prepayment meters have a digital display. You will usually see your remaining credit.
2. Cycle through information: Pressing a button on the meter will typically cycle through various information screens, including your current credit, debt (if any), and sometimes your usage in kWh.

Older electricity meters

Older electricity meters might be digital or dial, but some may have fewer features or a less clear display. The principles for reading them remain the same as above. If you struggle to read an older meter, contact your energy supplier for assistance. They may offer to replace it with a modern smart meter, often at no cost.

How to read your gas meter

Gas meters measure your gas consumption, typically in cubic metres (m³) or cubic feet (ft³).

Digital gas meters

Digital gas meters are the most common type and are generally easy to read.

1. Locate the display: The reading is displayed as a series of numbers on an LCD screen.
2. Record the numbers: Write down all the numbers from left to right, ignoring any numbers in red or after a decimal point. These smaller numbers represent fractions of a unit and are not required for your reading.

Dial gas meters

Similar to dial electricity meters, gas dial meters have several clock-like dials.

1. Identify the dials: Most have four main dials to read.
2. Read from left to right: For each dial, record the number that the pointer has just passed. If the pointer is directly on a number, look at the dial to its right. If that dial's pointer is between 9 and 0, record the lower number for the current dial. If the dial to the right has passed 0, then record the number the pointer is on.
3. Ignore red dials: Disregard any dials that are red or marked '1/10', '1/100', or '1/1000'.

Metric and imperial meters

Gas meters can measure in either cubic feet (imperial) or cubic metres (metric).

• Metric meters (m³): These usually have 'm³' written on the display. You will typically read four black numbers and then two red numbers (which you ignore).
• Imperial meters (ft³): These usually have 'ft³' written on the display. You will typically read four white numbers on a black background.

It is important to know whether your meter is metric or imperial, as this affects how your supplier converts your reading into kilowatt-hours (kWh) for billing.

Understanding smart meters and manual readings

Smart meters are designed to send your energy readings directly to your supplier automatically, removing the need for manual submissions.

Do you need to submit a reading with a smart meter?

If your smart meter is online and communicating correctly with your supplier, you generally do not need to submit manual readings. It automatically sends your usage data, ensuring accurate bills. However, manual submission is still an option if you want to double-check your usage or if there is a discrepancy you are concerned about.

What to do if your smart meter is offline

Sometimes, smart meters can go offline and stop sending automatic readings. This can happen due to connectivity issues or other technical problems.

If your smart meter is offline for an extended period (typically more than two days), your supplier may start sending estimated bills. In this situation, you should:

1. Check the meter display: Take a manual reading from the meter itself, just as you would with a traditional digital meter.
2. Submit manually: You can then submit this reading to your supplier, often through their app or website.
3. Contact your supplier: Report the offline status to your energy supplier so they can investigate and restore connectivity.

The radio Teleswitch service (RTS) phase-out

The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is a legacy system used by some older meters, particularly for Economy 7 tariffs, to switch between Peak and Off-Peak rates. This service is being switched off in an industry-wide phase-out that began on 30 June 2025.

If you have an RTS meter, your current supplier is responsible for replacing it with a smart meter at no cost to you. You cannot complete a switch to a new supplier, including Fuse Energy, while you still have an RTS meter. Once your current supplier has replaced your RTS meter with a smart meter, you can then switch to a modern energy provider like Fuse Energy to benefit from the latest technology and a digital-first experience.

Submitting your meter reading

Once you have your accurate meter reading, the next step is to submit it to your energy supplier.

Submitting via the Fuse Energy app

The Fuse Energy app makes submitting manual readings straightforward.

1. Open the app: Log in to your Fuse Energy account.
2. Navigate to 'add reading': On the graph page, you will find an 'Add reading' button.
3. Select meter type: Choose whether you are submitting an electricity or gas reading.
4. Enter numbers: Input the numbers you recorded from your meter. You can also upload a photo of your meter reading.
5. Submit: Confirm your reading.

This feature is available whether your account is in a 'switch in pending', 'switch in queued', 'switched in', 'switch out pending', or 'switch out queued' state.

What happens after submission?

After you submit your reading, your energy supplier will validate it. If accepted, it will be used to calculate your next bill, ensuring it reflects your actual consumption. If there are any issues or discrepancies with the reading, your supplier may contact you to clarify or request a new reading. Missing or invalid readings can lead to estimated billing.

Keeping a record of your readings

It is a good habit to keep a personal record of your meter readings, along with the date they were taken. This allows you to:

• Track your usage: Monitor your energy consumption over time.
• Verify bills: Cross-reference your bills with your own records to ensure accuracy.
• Identify trends: Spot seasonal changes in usage or the impact of new appliances.

Common meter reading problems and solutions

Even with clear instructions, you might encounter issues when taking a meter reading.

Difficulty locating your meter

Meters are typically found in utility cupboards, under the stairs, in basements, outside in meter boxes, or sometimes in communal areas for flats. If you cannot find yours, check your tenancy agreement or contact your landlord. Your energy supplier may also be able to provide guidance based on your property type.

Unclear or faulty display

If your meter's display is broken, faded, or difficult to read, do not attempt to tamper with it. Contact your energy supplier immediately. They can arrange for a technician to inspect or replace the meter. A faulty meter can lead to inaccurate billing, so it is important to report it promptly.

Discrepancies with your bill

If your bill seems unusually high or low compared to your meter readings, or if you notice a significant difference between your own records and the supplier's, contact your energy supplier. Provide them with your meter readings and dates, and they will investigate the discrepancy. This could be due to an incorrect reading, an estimated bill, or a fault with the meter itself.

The average UK home uses around 2,700 kWh of electricity per year. If your usage appears drastically different from this benchmark without a clear reason, it is worth investigating.

Taking control of your energy usage starts with understanding your meter readings. Fuse Energy makes it easy to submit your readings and manage your account through our intuitive app, helping you stay on top of your energy consumption and bills. Experience clear pricing, real-time usage data, and 24/7 human customer support. Click here to switch to Fuse Energy today and simplify your energy management.