Energy Prices, Energy Tips

When we do our weekly shop, we want every item to be scanned so that we pay the right price. We wouldn’t be happy if the cashier glanced at our groceries and guessed the total cost. So why do we put up with estimated bills from our utility suppliers? Making sure that you provide regular readings will ensure that you are accurately charged and this could save you money!

Why you should read your gas and electricity meters

Providing regular meter readings means that you will only be billed for the gas and electricity that you actually use. The genuine figure may be higher or lower than the estimate, but in either case it’s beneficial to be charged for the correct amount – you don’t want to run up a huge energy bill by making underpayments, nor do you want to be paying more than you need.

Estimated readings (which will usually be marked with a letter ‘E’ on your bill) are based on historic or average data. So if you’ve just become the sole occupier of a place that previously housed the Jolie-Pitts and their gaggle of children, the utility estimates could be way out because one person requires less household power than many.

Also, if you live in a flat, make sure that you know exactly which gas and electricity meter belongs to you: you don’t want to be funding someone else’s tumble-dryer habit.

How to read your gas and electricity meters

Standard - you need the first five digits from the left. Ignore any red numbers.

Digital – you need the first five digits from the left. Ignore the final figure that begins with 0.1.

Dial – these are slightly more confusing. Again, they are read from left to right, and dials without numbers or hands should be disregarded. If the hand is in between two numbers, record the number it’s just passed (for example, if the hand is between four and five, you would write down four). If the next dial along is on nine, reduce the previous number by one (for example, if one dial looks like it’s dead on the seven, but the next dial reads nine, you would write the first number down as six).

Economy-seven [link to economy7 article] – these will include two different readings. The daytime reading will either be the top one, marked as ‘normal’, or the default display. The night-time reading will be the bottom one, marked ‘low’, or the reading accessed by pressing a button on the meter.

Pre-payment – these display a variety of information. Your meter reading should be shown after you press the button on your meter.

If you’re still having problems, your utility supplier should be able to give you specific instructions over the phone.

If your meter isn’t accessible (for example, if it’s awkward to reach, or you have sight problems), your gas and electricity provider should be able to arrange for someone to come out and read it for you on a regular basis.

Smart meters

You may be surprised to discover that most of the gas and electricity meters found in our homes are based on ideas from the nineteenth century. Obviously, a re-design was well overdue, and it’s appeared in the form of the smart meter. These are much more than a dusty box with a set of pretty meaningless figures.

A smart meter allows you to see the actual cost of the gas or electricity you use. It also provides information for each appliance: so you can see exactly how much your teenager’s MTV addiction is setting you back. The data can be accessed remotely, through a wireless connection, so you can set up a mobile or PC to monitor your energy usage. Smart meters are currently being trialled by most utility providers, and are expected to be in widespread use in the next few years.

Once you’ve begun to provide your utility supplier with regular meter readings, you can start to understand exactly how much energy you use.

A smart meter is a cunning little gizmo that accurately monitors your energy usage. It uses GPRS technology to keep your supplier abreast of your usage in real time. In turn, you can check out how your gas and electricity consumption is going via the web. Isn’t technology wonderful?

So what’s so good about them?

There are two principal advantages to having a smart meter. One is that, because your billing centre will be regularly updated on your energy use, your bills will always be accurate and not estimates. The other is that by keeping close tabs on how much energy you’re using, it will be possible to reduce your consumption accordingly. You could even save as much as 15% on your bills, according to statutory body Consumer Focus.

How can I monitor usage?

After the data is sent to your supplier, it will be expressed in a digestible format on the net. You will be able to see your usage expressed in a variety of ways, such as kWh, cost and even in terms of your carbon footprint. As such, the customer can take better control of their energy usage, and it becomes a lot easier to reduce waste. To find out more about driving down your bills, read our guide on how to reduce your gas and electricity usage.

How much does this handy little device cost?

New supplier First Utility installs them as standard, and for free. Most suppliers don’t install these meters yet, but Ofgem want to have smart meters in every home by 2020. It only takes about an hour to do (or closer to two if you have dual fuel). Plus the smart meter is compatible with all energy companies since it can also be read by hand, so it doesn’t matter if you switch supplier.

Are there any disadvantages to installing a smart meter?

If you like being surprised by your bills, then you may be disappointed by the transparency afforded by a meter. However, if you’re a normal, sensible human being then the chances are that you’ll find it really useful.