How to read your meter

Meters come in all shapes and sizes - and each one is read differently. Here's the lowdown on all of them...

Single rate mechanical meter

THIS METER READS: 63172

Just scribble down the numbers from left to right, including any zeros (ignore numbers in red and any after the decimal point).

Two rate mechanical meter

DAY/NORMAL

THIS METER READS: 63182

NIGHT/LOW

THIS METER READS: 09475

If your electricity's with Economy7 or Economy10, you might see two readings - one will be your daytime (normal) reading and the other will be your night-time (low) reading. Just write down the numbers from left to right, including any zeros. And keep a note of which reading's which.

Digital meter

Just write down all the numbers you see (don't worry about jotting down the decimal points as we won't need them).

Dial meter

DAY/NORMAL

THIS METER READS: 56216

Here's the last, slightly trickier one... Start with the highest-numbered dial first (in this example it'll be 10,000). Then jot down the numbers you see from left to right, including any zeros (ignore any red dials).

So this one reads

10,000 - 5

1,000 - 6

100 - 2

10 - 0

1 - 6

Don't forget

To write down the number that the pointer's just passed (this isn't always the nearest number to the pointer). If the pointer is between 5 and 6, you should write down 5 - even if it's closer to 6. And if the pointer is sat over the 5 and the next dial (to the right) is between 9 and 0, you should write down 4 for the dial to the left.