Your gas and electricity meters are the best way to keep track of how much energy you are using. Knowing how to take one accurately will allow you to check that you are not being overcharged for your energy supply.
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If you don’t supply your energy company with a meter reading then you could end up overpaying for your energy supply as your bill will be based on estimates.
There are several different types of energy meter that are used:
Gas Meters
Gas meters will tell you how much gas you are using in your household. Taking readings from your gas meter is important in order to measure how much you are using.
Sending your gas supplier your readings regularly will ensure that your bills are accurate and that you are never overcharged for your gas usage.
Electricity Meters
Electricity meters will tell you how much electricity you are using in your household. Taking readings from your electricity meter is important in order to measure how much you are using.
Sending your electricity supplier your readings regularly will ensure that your bills are accurate and that you are never overcharged for your electricity usage.
Prepayment Meters
Prepayment meters work by paying for your energy usage up front. Many of them work on a credit top up system. The benefit of a prepayment meter is that you will never have the shock of energy bill that is much larger than you expected it to be. This is because you will have already paid for all the energy that you use, before you used it.
The types of prepayment meter vary. Some prepayment meters use a key or a token, whereas some of the older meters use coins that are inserted straight into the machines.
In many cases it is possible to switch from a prepayment meter to a standard meter. To find out how to switch from a prepayment meter to a standard meter, then check out our guide on prepayment meters.
Smart Meters
Smart meters are the newest form of energy meter that are being used in the UK. A smart meter gives you the benefit of sending your meter readings directly to your energy supplier. By doing this, the smart meter will enable your gas or electricity supplier to ensure that they have accurate meter readings of your energy usage. What this means for you is that you won’t have to take meter readings yourself, or have someone come round and take it for you.
Some smart meters work by sending information over the internet and others work by sending them over mobile phone networks.
Your smart meter will also be fitted with a display screen that will provide you with live information on how much energy you are using and how much you are paying for it. This will allow you to better keep track of your energy consumption and will give you better control over your budget.
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