Your gas meter is the best way to find out exactly how much gas your household is using. By taking gas meter readings regularly you can ensure that your gas supplier does not overcharge you on your gas bills.
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Taking a gas meter reading is very simple and by making a note of them, you could save yourself a lot of money on your gas bills.
You should take gas meter readings regularly because it allows you to see what your gas usage actually is. This means that you will be able to try and use your gas more efficiently and, by doing so, you will be able to cut down on your energy bills.
By taking your gas meter readings regularly, it also allows you to be better placed to see if you could be saving money on your gas by switching energy to a cheaper supplier.
Your gas supplier will need you to take gas meter readings because they allow your energy supplier to give you more accurate bills.
If you do not supply your gas provider with your gas meter readings, then your gas bills will be based on estimates as opposed to your actual gas usage. This means that you run the risk of overpaying for your gas supply.
Of course this also means that you may end up underpaying for your gas supply. Whilst this may sound like an appealing prospect, your supplier will notice eventually and they will ask you to pay the correct amount at some point. This means that you could end up with a nasty surprise in the form of a large, unexpected bill.
There are a few different types of gas meter that you may have in your home. Each meter will show you your meter reading in slightly different ways.
Standard gas meter readings
Standard gas meters are the most commonly used in the UK. Taking a gas meter reading from them is fairly simple. All you need to do is read the numbers from left to right.
Note: The only numbers that you need to record are the black ones, if there are any red numbers displayed on your meter, ignore these.
Dial gas meter readings
Dial gas meters are slightly less common than standard meters. They are also slightly more complex to take a meter reading from.
To take a gas meter reading from a dial meter then you need to read the dials form left to right. Again if there are any red figures on display then just ignore these.
If the dial is currently in between two figures then be sure to note down only the number that has just been passed.
If any of the numbers that you have just written down is followed by a 9 then you must reduce the previous number by 1.
For example if your meter reads 379, then you should adjust your gas meter reading to say 369. The 7 was followed by a 9, therefore you reduced it by 1.
Prepayment gas meter readings
Some households in the UK will have prepayment gas meters. This means that you pay for your energy upfront using a credit top up system.
The default display on your prepayment meter will show you what your current credit level is. To view your meter reading, simply push the button located on the front of your gas meter. Doing this will change display to show your reading. From this point just note down the reading as normal.
Now that you have your meter reading, you can compare it to the estimate that was on your last energy bill. If your meter reading is lower than the figure stated on your last bill, then it is likely that you have been overpaying.
If this is the case, then you should contact your gas supplier and claim a refund off of them. This refund will normally come in the form of a discount off of your next bill.
If your meter reading looks like it is incorrect then you should contact your energy supplier immediately. They will send someone round to check your meter and repair it if necessary.
If you think you are paying too much for your gas, then you should consider switching to a cheaper gas supplier.
Switching your gas supplier is simple and free. To start switching, simply use our free and impartial energy comparison service.
All you need is your postcode and your energy usage. Once you’ve given us this information, we can get to work on finding out which gas deals are the cheapest for you.
In minutes you’ll be presented with information on all the cheapest and best energy deals out there, along with other important information such as the companies’ customer service ratings.