How to Take a Meter Reading

Taking a meter reading comes down to one habit: find the row of numbers that shows how much gas or electricity has passed through the meter, write it down from left to right, and ignore everything else. On a traditional meter that means the first five digits on an electricity meter or a metric gas meter, ignoring red numbers and anything after the decimal point. On a smart meter it means pressing a button until the screen shows the right figure: IMP or IMPORT followed by kWh on electricity, VOLUME or METER INDEX followed by M3 on gas¹.

Most households with a smart meter do not need to do this at all, because the meter sends readings to the supplier automatically³. But there are real exceptions, and they matter. A smart meter can stop working in smart mode, particularly after a supplier switch, and Ofgem is explicit that in that situation "you may need to take meter readings manually and submit them to your new supplier instead"². Even a meter that is not operating in smart mode can still be read by hand: "You will also still be able to take manual readings"¹.

Why smart meters can still leave you with a task

A smart meter's whole point is that it does the reading for you. It records how much gas or electricity you use and sends the figures automatically over the DCC's secure network to your supplier, so you do not have to submit readings yourself⁷. Ofgem lists the benefits in the same terms: bills based on accurate meter readings and not estimates, access to more flexible tariffs including dual-rate tariffs, and, in prepayment mode, the ability to add credit without visiting a shop⁶.

The catch is that the automatic system depends on the meter communicating. Smart meters can go dumb, particularly older models, and other technical issues can also stop automatic readings getting through³. Ofgem's own guidance on what happens when an energy supplier goes out of business anticipates exactly this: the meter may not work in smart mode when you move to the new supplier, and manual readings fill the gap until it does. The same guidance notes the meter may work in smart mode again if you change tariffs or suppliers later².

So the honest position is this. A working smart meter removes the routine chore of monthly readings, and that is a genuine gain: the household stops depending on its own discipline for accurate billing. But the meter itself remains the record, and the household still needs to know how to read it for the moments when the automatic chain breaks. Knowing how also lets you check the in-home display against the bill, which is the one point at which a household can verify what a supplier is charging against what the meter actually recorded⁹.

Situations that call for reading the meter yourself

The situations that call for a manual reading are well defined, and most of them involve a break in the automatic chain.

• Switching supplier. Part of the switchover process includes taking a meter reading on the day of your switch¹⁰. Smart Energy GB lists switching supplier as the first reason a manual read may be needed, alongside the meter temporarily losing connection, monitoring energy use more closely, changed meter settings, having switched with an older SMETS1 meter, and a supplier confirming recent usage⁴.
• Moving home. StepChange includes moving among the exceptions where a smart meter household still needs to take a reading¹¹.
• The supplier cannot take automated reads. This covers meters that have gone dumb or lost their connection¹¹.

• Claiming back credit. If you are owed money, you will need to give your supplier an up-to-date meter reading so it can calculate the actual amount of credit you are entitled to¹⁰.

Older SMETS1 meters deserve a specific mention. These first-generation smart meters could temporarily go dumb and lose their ability to send automatic meter readings after a switch of supplier¹². The DCC's guidance on switching notes that the simplest way to check what will happen to your meter is the smart meter checking tool on the Citizens Advice website¹³. Trading standards guidance for Anglesey residents makes the same point from the consumer side: you can switch suppliers if you have a smart meter, but the new supplier might not offer all the smart meter services such as remote meter readings, and the meter may need replacing¹⁴.

There is also a standing reason to read any meter: your supplier needs regular readings to work out your bills, and will estimate your usage if you do not send them¹⁵. If you have not submitted a reading for a long time, or you cannot take your own readings, your supplier may send someone to your property to read the meter and check everything is working¹⁶.

Locating your meter and identifying its kind

Before any reading, you have to find the meter and identify what kind it is. Electricity meters are usually near the consumer unit or where the supply enters the property; gas meters are next to the gas emergency control valve, often in a cupboard, under the stairs, or in an external box. If the meter is awkward to reach, or you have sight problems, your supplier should arrange for someone to come out and read it for you³.

Identification is straightforward once you look at the face. A smart meter has a digital screen and either a keypad or a small number of buttons; if you are unsure whether you have one, the Citizens Advice checking tool confirms it¹³. Traditional meters divide into three broad families:

• Digital meters: a row of numbers on a screen, sometimes with one or more digits in red or after a decimal point¹⁵.
• Dial meters: a set of clock-style dials, each with a pointer. Read the dials from left to right, and if the pointer is between two numbers, give the lower number¹⁷.
• Two-rate meters: two rows of numbers, or one display that cycles between two readings, for homes on Economy 7 or similar tariffs¹⁵.

The unit tells you what you are looking at on the gas side. Most gas meters are metric, showing readings in cubic metres (m³) with five numbers to read; imperial meters show cubic feet (ft³) and have four numbers¹⁸. If you want the full detail on traditional meters, we cover reading a gas meter and reading an electricity meter separately.

Getting to the IMP or IMPORT display on electricity smart meters

Every electricity smart meter shows the reading on its screen, but you may have to wake the screen up and step through the displays to find it. The screen you want will flash or include the word IMP or IMPORT, with a number followed by kWh⁵. That figure is your reading.

The button layout varies by model, and the procedure follows the layout:

• Keypad meters: press 9, wait for IMP KWH, and write down the numbers followed by KWH from left to right, ignoring leading zeros and digits after the decimal point⁴. In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks gives the same instruction for its keypad meters: press 9 on the meter or freedom unit to display the reading¹⁷.
• A and B buttons under the screen: press A, then press A again until you see TOTAL ACT IMPORT and numbers followed by KWH⁴.
• Three buttons to the right of the screen: press the middle button and write down the number below IMP⁴.
• A green A button to the right and a white B button below: press the white B button to light up the screen, wait for the meter boost prompt, press A to select no, and the reading appears followed by KWH⁴.
• Two buttons to the right, one saying reconnect: press the display or display select button repeatedly until numbers followed by KWH appear. Some of these meters change screens automatically, so you can simply wait for the KWH screen; contact your supplier if it does not cycle⁴.
• One orange button and two blue buttons: press the orange button and write down the number from left to right⁴.

Homes with solar panels or other generation may have an import/export meter, which shows two figures. On NIE Networks meters with a blue button, the default display shows a small 0 followed by five numbers, which is the import reading; press the blue button repeatedly until a small 5 appears, and the five numbers after it are the export reading. Do not push the buttons while the meter alternates between displays, as it shows each reading for about 10 seconds¹⁹. On keypad versions, press 9 three times: IMP Units shows the total import units and the figure after Exp Units is the export reading¹⁹.

Gas smart meters: VOLUME, METER INDEX and the M3 figure

Gas smart meters follow the same logic, with one difference in the target screen. The screen will flash or show the word VOLUME or METER INDEX, and a number followed by M3⁵. That number, in cubic metres, is your reading.

Again the route to that screen depends on the buttons:

• A and B buttons: press the A button until METER INDEX appears; the numbers next to m3 are the reading²⁰.
• A keypad: press 9, see VOLUME, and wait until it changes to numbers followed by M3²⁰.
• A button to the left and right of the screen: press either button and wait until you see 01 with numbers followed by M3²⁰.
• Orange and blue arrow buttons: press the orange button²⁰.
• Three square red buttons: press the left button, which might say A²⁰.
• Two white buttons to the right: press the right button, which might be labelled OK or have an arrow on it²⁰.

Most gas smart meters in Great Britain show the reading as numbers followed by m3, so note the unit when you check²¹. To avoid incorrect submissions, record only the numbers before the decimal point, ignoring leading zeros²⁰. If your home still has an older imperial meter, it will always measure gas in cubic feet (ft³) rather than cubic metres²¹; the supplier converts the units to kilowatt-hours before billing, a process covered in converting gas units to kWh.

Read the digits from left to right and ignore anything after the point

Whatever the meter, the writing-down rule is the same, and it is worth stating precisely because most mistakes happen here.

Write down the numbers from left to right. Ignore any zeros at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point⁴. On electricity meters, look for numbers followed by kWh⁴. On a single-rate digital electricity meter, write down the first five numbers shown from left to right and ignore any others, including red numbers¹⁵. On a standard meter generally, take a reading of five black numbers from left to right, ignoring any red numbers²².

The same discipline applies to gas. On a digital metric gas meter, record the five numbers from left to right, including the zeros, but do not include the numbers in red or anything after the decimal point²¹. On a digital metric meter more simply put: write down the numbers before the decimal point and ignore everything else²³. On a digital imperial meter, write down the first four numbers and ignore the numbers in red²³.

Dial meters need slightly more care, because the pointers rarely sit exactly on a number:

• Read the first five dials from left to right on electricity, ignoring any red dials or dials marked 1/10¹⁵.
• On gas dial meters, read the first four dials from left to right, ignoring the large dials or red dials, and write down the number the pointer is directly over¹⁵.
• If a pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower number. If it is between 9 and 0, write down 9¹⁵.
• Start with the dial on the left, write down the number the pointer has just gone past, and check the dial to the right whenever a pointer sits directly over a number⁵.
• Dials without numbers or hands should be disregarded³.

The result should be a short, clean figure: five digits for most electricity and metric gas meters, four for imperial gas. If you find yourself writing down a decimal point or a red digit, you have gone too far.

Two registers explained: day, night and Economy 7 meters

Some electricity meters show two readings because the home is on a two-rate tariff. Economy 7 is the common example: it charges a cheaper rate for electricity used during off-peak night hours, so the meter keeps two separate records. One is for on-peak hours, which could be marked as normal or day, and one is for off-peak hours, marked low or night⁵. The meter has two sets of numbers, one marked low, which means night, and one marked normal, which refers to the day²⁴.

Both readings matter, because your supplier bills each period at its own rate. The daytime or on-peak reading should either be the top one, marked as normal or day, or the default display; the night-time or off-peak reading is the bottom one, marked low or night³. On digital and prepayment meters you can usually access each reading by pressing a button, and the registers are sometimes marked Rate 1 and Rate 2³. Some meters also have a number marked day rate alongside a red button that you push to get your night rate²⁴.

Two-rate meters come in two display formats. Some have two rows of numbers, with the top row labelled low or night and the bottom row labelled normal or day; read both rows, writing the numbers left to right and ignoring any shown in red¹⁵. Others have only one digital display, which either flashes the different rate readings in a cycle or has a button to press to cycle through them¹⁵. On a two-rate single display meter, write down the numbers shown left to right for each reading, and make sure you get both¹⁵.

On smart meters, the registers appear as separate screens. Press 6 on the keypad until you see IMP R01 followed by eight digits, which is usually the night or off-peak reading, then keep pressing 6 until you see IMP R02, usually the peak or normal reading²¹. Smart Energy GB notes that some electricity smart meters show separate readings for day and night tariffs, Economy 7 pricing, and peak and off-peak usage⁴. Whether Economy 7 itself is worth having depends on when you use electricity, a question covered in is Economy 7 worth it.

How a correct reading fixes bills based on estimates

If readings stop reaching your supplier, the supplier does not stop billing. It estimates. If you are on a standard meter and do not send meter readings, you will most likely end up with an estimated bill, meaning you over-pay or under-pay²³.

A smart meter that has lost its connection produces the same outcome by a different route. Your bills may temporarily become estimated, manual readings may be needed, and the in-home display may stop updating correctly⁴. Ofgem describes the possible faults in the same terms: the meter may stop recording the energy you use, or may no longer send readings to your supplier⁷.

The correction is the same in every case: an accurate reading. Once the supplier has a real figure, the bill is recalculated against it, and any over-payment or under-payment evens out. The pattern is visible in Ofgem's scheme guidance, where a missed reading is submitted later and payment for the previous period follows in one adjustment²⁵. For households on generation schemes the stakes are similar: the Energy Ombudsman notes that where a meter fault affects Feed-in Tariff payments, "The FIT payments will stop from the date of the last accurate meter reading"²⁶, and Ofgem's guidance for FIT generators states that your generation payments will not be affected by a smart meter installation²⁷.

The practical lesson is that an estimated bill is not a dispute in itself; it is a bill waiting for a number. Take the reading, submit it, and the estimate is replaced. If the meter itself is recording wrongly rather than just failing to communicate, that is a different problem, covered in reporting a faulty or inaccurate meter.

Sending in your reading while the meter remains the source of truth

Once you have the figure, submission is the easy part. Suppliers generally offer several routes: their website by logging into your account, a mobile app, phone, online chat, email, or text¹⁶. Some suppliers add their own conveniences; Octopus, for instance, provides a monthly meter reading reminder that works without an account log-in, and an app that scans the meter with the phone camera¹⁶.

How often to submit depends on the meter. For a traditional meter, a reasonable rule of thumb is at least once a month, ideally on the same day of each month¹⁶. For a smart meter household that has needed a manual reading, submitting about three working days before your energy bill comes out is a good way to ensure the bill uses the real figure rather than an estimate²¹. Ofgem's scheme guidance uses a similar window for official readings: a four-week period, from one week before the meter reading date up to three weeks after²⁵.

Two points about the smart meter's standing role are worth keeping straight. First, if you have a smart meter, your supplier should automatically be getting accurate meter readings, and meter readings should be sent automatically by your smart meter to your energy supplier¹⁸. A manual reading is a supplement for the exceptions, not a replacement habit. Second, the meter remains the official record either way. The reading you take is the same figure the meter would send automatically, which is why a manual read is acceptable to a supplier whenever the automatic route fails. Even with a smart meter installed, you can still provide readings manually if requested by your supplier⁴. The full process, including what to do when a supplier disputes a reading, is covered in submitting meter readings.

What households gain from a meter reading, and what they do not

A meter reading is a small act with a specific meaning: it is the household's own evidence of how much energy it used. That evidence is what turns a bill from a supplier's guess into a calculation. Ofgem frames the smart meter benefit in exactly these terms: bills based on accurate meter readings and not estimates, ensuring you only pay for the energy you have used rather than the approximate costs of an estimated bill⁶.

The reading also feeds the household's own knowledge. The meter's in-home display shows how much energy you are using during the day, and up-to-date information on your use is what lets a household find ways to save money²⁸. A manual reading taken at the same point each month builds the same picture for homes without a smart meter, and it is the baseline for anything from a credit refund to a supplier switch¹⁰.

What a reading does not do is change the price. Except by switching, you do not control the tariff your energy supplier sets, but you can change how much energy you use⁹. A reading records consumption; it does not reduce it, and it does not alter the unit rate. The household remains dependent on the supplier to convert the figure into a bill, on the network to carry the data if the meter is smart, and on the tariff for what each unit costs. What the reading secures is accuracy within that arrangement: the number on the bill matches the number on the meter. For a household working towards more control over its energy, that is the foundation, and the wider steps are set out in taking more control of your home's energy.