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Meter Readings
Smart meters send meter readings to your supplier automatically on a regular basis. You have some choice in the frequency of reading as shown in the tables below.
If the communications to your Smart Meter do not work, you will need to send meter readings to your supplier by taking them from your IHD (In Home Device) or your meter.
When should I read my meter?
If you have a working Smart Meter and your supplier is using its readings for billing, then you don't need to take readings yourself.
If you have a traditional meter or your supplier is not receiving readings from your Smart Meter, then you should send a meter reading in every month for each meter. That way you won't get any bill shocks when estimates are corrected to an actual reading in the future.
We have seen a lot of headlines such as "Read your meter now" - don't be stressed by these. If you give regular readings, then billing estimates will do a good job of estimating your meter reading on any given day. If you never give readings, then make sure that you do on any tariff change days to reduce the chance of arguments with your supplier.
Meter Reading Frequency
Industry rules on the frequency of data collection from your meter changed in November 2022 to make half-hourly the default. The change was to support half-hourly settlement; basically, more frequent readings mean that less estimation is used when calculating energy purchases and therefore it is more accurate and reduces costs.
What is Half Hourly Settlement?
Electricity suppliers and generators trade with each other to meet the needs of customers. For each half-hour period they compare how much energy suppliers have bought, how much customers have used, and then calculate what charges a supplier must pay to make up the difference. This process is called "settlement".
At present, before the introduction of Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS), the calculation relies on estimates. This is because most customers do not have meters that can record their half-hourly consumption and so a standard customer shape is used to estimate what is used in a half hour.
These estimates cause forecast inaccuracies, leading to generation being scheduled when it is not needed and all suppliers buying more or less energy than they need. All of these things increase costs.
The introduction of Half Hourly Settlement has been delayed from March 2025 to late September.
You can change your mind at any time on the reading frequency - just contact your supplier to let them know.
| Contract Date | Half-hourly | Daily | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart meter installed, or have switched supplier or agreed a new contract before 3 November 2022 | You can choose half-hourly readings | Default | You can choose monthly readings |
| Smart meter installed, or have switched supplier or agreed a new contract on or after 3 November 2022 | Default | You can choose daily readings | Not available |
| Contract Date | Half-hourly | Daily | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart meter installed, or have switched supplier or agreed a new contract before 3 November 2022 | Default | You can choose daily readings | You can choose monthly readings |
| Smart meter installed, or have switched supplier or agreed a new contract on or after 3 November 2022 | Default | Not available | Not available |
| Contract Date | Half-hourly | Daily | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Contracts | Default | Not available | Not available |
How do I read my Smart Meter?
Despite having a Smart Meter, you may still have to provide meter readings to your supplier if the communications fails or to settle disputes. When you need readings take them from the Electricity and Gas Meters themselves not from your IHD (In Home Display) as this could be out of step with the meters.
For all Smart Meter readings follow these basic rules:
- Ignore any zeroes at the beginning of the reading;
- Write down the numbers from left to right;
- Ignore any numbers after the decimal point.
Single-Rate - If you have one single rate or price, then you are on a single rate tariff. This is the case for most people.
Multi-Rate - If you have a multi-rate tariff such as Economy 7 you will need to get two readings. Unfortunately, suppliers have not standardised which reading is peak or off-peak, it could be either R1 (Register 1 or Rate 1) or R2 (Register 2 or Rate 2) depending on the supplier. Your supplier should ask you to submit a R1 reading and a R2 reading so you don't have to determine which is which.
Export - If you have Solar or Wind generation you will want to check your export readings from time to time. All Smart Meters can measure export.
Instruction Manual - If you want the instruction manual for your meter have a look on our documentation page.
Reading Instructions
Select either your meter, or its characteristics, in the selection boxes below to get instructions for reading your meter.
- If you have a multi-rate tariff such as Economy 7 tick the appropriate box to get instructions to get peak and off-peak readings
- If you want an export reading, select the Export button
- We will store your selection so you don't have to remember each time.
Electricity Smart Meter
Gas Smart Meter
(Page updated: 2024-12-08)