If you are unsure how to read your gas or electricity meter,  click here for the PDF step by step guide on how to take readings from your standard meter types. If you have a multi rate meter, please click here for our handy PDF guide. 

A smart meter is a digital meter that measures the energy you use and sends readings directly to your supplier. The bills are generally more accurate and up to date.

We currently don’t support smart meters but may support them in the future.

You can contact us on 0345 60 70 372, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00 (excluding public holidays).

For out of hours emergencies, please contact National Grid on 0800 111 999.

Don't worry, you can let us know you're moving home and we'll estimate your final readings for you, based on how much energy you've been using recently. Alternatively, if you give us your meter readings, even after we've sent an estimated bill, then we can send you an accurate one instead

If you are renting and can't get to your meters, ask your landlord or letting agency for a reading. They should keep a record.

Unlike a standard tariff meter, an Economy 7 meter usually has two rows of figures, one for the peak period and one for the off-peak period. If your Economy 7 meter has been installed quite recently, it will probably have an electronic display screen. These meters will only have a single set of numbers that display the daytime reading - you will need to press a red button to display the night reading.

Most meters using the Economy 7 tariff are switched automatically from normal to low and back again by a radio teleswitch. In older installations, instead of a teleswitch, you'll find a mechanical timeswitch mounted beside your Economy 7 meter. You must not tamper with either the meter or its controlling timeswitch.

MPRN stands for Meter Point Reference Number. It’s unique to the gas supply for your particular property and is used to identify the connection between the gas mains pipes and your gas meter.

You’ll find this on page 2 of your gas bill or statement and it’s normally displayed somewhere on your meter (it’s different to your meter serial number). It’s useful to have this number if you want to switch supplier.

An energy monitor is a simple device that you can fit it yourself. It works with your existing electricity meter to give you an indication of your electricity use. Energy monitors cannot communicate with your energy supplier and do not directly affect your bill.  

Smart meters, on the other hand, are new meters that will replace existing gas and electricity meters and provide a communication channel between your home and your energy supplier. This means your energy supplier will have the ability to read your meter remotely and use this information to bill you for your actual energy use.

They come with a Smart energy display for you to place in your home, much like the energy monitor, that will show you how much gas and electricity you’re using and are automatically updated with your energy prices

Some of our tariffs and products require your meter to display two or more readings. Examples of these are Economy 7 and Economy 10.

To check which reading is which, you can simply read your meter twice on the same day between 9am and 9pm ensuring the readings are taken at least two hours apart keeping a note of the times and date your reads were taken. The register which shows a change in your reading is your day register.

We've one of the most competitive energy markets in the world, but the United States, Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands are among the countries already using Smart meters.

This is good news for us because we can learn important lessons from other countries.

The supply point number given is used to help energy companies complete the switching process and for the companies that distribute your electricity or gas (local network operators) to identify you.

For electricity this is called a Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) or for gas a Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN).

The first number on the bottom line identifies which network distribution supply region you are in - this is also stated on your bill on page ¹.

Unlike a standard tariff meter, an Economy 7 meter usually has two rows of figures, one for the peak period and one for the off-peak period. If your Economy 7 meter has been installed quite recently, it will probably have an electronic display screen. These meters will only have a single set of numbers that display the daytime reading - you will need to press a red button to display the night reading.

Most meters using the Economy 7 tariff are switched automatically from normal to low and back again by a radio teleswitch. In older installations, instead of a teleswitch, you'll find a mechanical timeswitch mounted beside your Economy 7 meter. You must not tamper with either the meter or its controlling timeswitch.