Our Guide to Energy Meters: Accurate readings and billing discrepancies

Energy meters may be a bit of a mystery to most people – but taking some time to find out a bit more about how yours works could save you lots of cash.

Regular meter readings can help you pin down how much energy you are using – and identify where you might be overpaying.

Meters can also break or occasionally go wrong. If your meter is playing up then you need to get to the bottom of the problem swiftly, so you don’t get overcharged in error.

The most common meter problems – and how to deal with them.

First things first: many meter reading errors come from the energy firm misinterpreting the information you give them. We’ve recently seen a number of examples of people moving into new properties, giving readings and being hit with totally unrealistic bills.

There are lots of reasons for this, but it’s usually the energy firm’s own system. If they don’t recognise or refuse to accept that its previous estimates were miles off, they may end up applying the wrong rates.

The most important thing to remember, is that the firm should be working off the readings you give when you move in, not estimates – so make sure that you check your meter and your bill to ensure that you are not being overcharged.

Analogue energy meters

Analogue energy meters with four or five clock-like dials are the source of much meter reading confusion. That’s because each dial reads either clockwise or counter-clockwise and each dial works the opposite way to the one before!

When trying to take your own reading, make sure you look closely to see where the arrow is pointing on each dial and then pick the number closest to it.

The best way you can avoid problems is to take a photo of the meter display and save the picture somewhere you can easily access. Many energy firms allow you to send in pictures of meter readings so it could really help as evidence if you end up disputing a bill.

If you’ve got lots of pictures on your phone why not email the pics to yourself with ‘energy reading’ in the subject box, so you can find them? You should also jot down your meter serial number as well – this will be needed if the business suspects there’s a problem with the meter.

Economy 7 meter

If you’ve got an Economy 7 meter, then you may well have ‘day and night’ readings. These aren’t always easy to figure out and can create confusion around your energy bill.

If you’re not sure how the meter works, take a reading in the morning and evening of the same day – take some photos while you’re at it – and then ask the energy firm to confirm which is which. Read the dial from left to right and leave off the red number. Make sure you keep a record of the date and time too.

Once the correct readings have been clarified the firm can update their system.

Smart meters

Smart meters were supposed to usher in a brave new world of automatic meter readings and accurate assessments of energy usage. However, due to the botched rollout of first-generation meters, technical problems, training issues for engineers and non-compatibility of the meters with new suppliers, the campaign was ditched.

While the new, second-generation meters are much more effective, things can still go wrong. The meters communicate through a wireless network, which anyone with WIFI or broadband will know can be fallible. Technical problems can abound and the buttons on the meters can be confusing.

If your smart meter seems wrong, ask the energy firm to conduct a test, which may include manual readings each day for a week. They will talk you through this.

Credit Meter

If you have a credit meter, it can be even more complicated if the readings seem wrong. If you’re getting through energy too quickly, then unplug the electrical items in your home and pop one item back on. Watch the dial and if it’s moving too quickly while, say, the kettle is on, you have a problem. If it’s not moving much at all after a few hours then it’s probably packed in. Why not use this as an excuse to go back on a cheaper prepayment meter?

Get help with all things energy, save money switching and read our tips and guides at www.resolver.co.uk

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk.