While Brits’ energy bills are set to remain high for the foreseeable future, British Gas owner Centrica has revealed that the worst of the energy crisis is now behind us.
The average household energy bill is estimated to decrease by £426 a year from Saturday, July 1 — AKA ‘Energy meter reading day’ — following Ofgem’s recent price-cap reduction. However, bills will remain at almost double the amount they cost before the war between Ukraine and Russia fuelled an international crisis.
As Ofgem’s new price cap is about to come into effect, many customers are wondering how they can submit their energy meter readings.
Here are some things to know about meter readings and most importantly how to read a meter.
What are meter readings for?
Energy providers use regular meter readings to work out how much gas or electricity you have used, so they can accurately work out your bills.
Without readings, bills are based on estimations that can be higher or lower than the amount of energy you have used.
The price cap has changed.
— Ofgem (@ofgem) May 25, 2023
The energy market is still volatile so what factors have contributed to the updated number?
Find out below about how this effects the #PriceCap 👇
How to read electricity meters
There are a few types of electricity meters. If you have a digital one, it might be a single-rate, two-rate, or two-rate single-display digital meter.
Those who have a single-rate digital meter simply have to jot down the first five numbers their meter is showing from left to right, ignoring any additional numbers.
Those with a two-rate digital meter, on the other hand, will have two rows of numbers on their display. The top row will show how many units of cheaper electricity they have used, while the bottom one shows how many units of standard-price electricity used. Your energy provider will ask to receive both numbers, excluding any numbers that are shown in red at the end of them.
A two-rate single display meter works on the same principle but, instead of having two separate screens, it will have one digital display that customers can use to see both readings.
Homes with a dial meter are different altogether. Dial meters usually have five or more dials, each pointing to a number between zero and nine. To give your provider a reading, you will have to read the first five dials from the left to write ignoring any red dials or ones marked 1/10. If the pointer is between two numbers, note the lower number.
How to read gas meters
Similar to electricity meters, gas meters come in digital and dial forms. The digital meters will display the numbers you need to make a note of, excluding any numbers shown in red or after a decimal point.
Gas-dial meters sport four or more dials, each pointing to a number between zero and nine. Your provider will ask you to share the first four dials from the left to the right, again, ignoring any red dials.
