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How to read your gas and electricity meters

How to read your gas and electricity meters

When it comes to reading your gas and electricity meters, it can differ depending on the type of meter you have. Simply find your meter below and follow our handy guide.

If you have a smart meter, it should send us your readings automatically. But if you do need to send us a reading, you can find out more below.

Contents

Traditional electric key Pay As You Go meters
Traditional gas quantum card meters
Traditional electricity meters
Traditional gas meters
Smart meters

Traditional electric key Pay As You Go meters

Insert the key into the meter and press the blue button to move through the different screens.
Screen H will show your meter’s current reading.
If you have a 2-rate meter move to screen J to view the second reading.
If you have a 3-rate meter move to screen L to view the third reading.

Traditional gas quantum card meters

If your gas meter has dials, please note the numbers in black.
If your meter has an LED screen, press the black button twice and then the red button to show the ‘Meter Index’ screen.
The Meter Index is your reading.

Traditional electricity meters

Electric 1 - rate meter

Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right.
Include any zeros at the start but ignore any digits in red or which come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Electric 2 - rate meter

If your meter has two rows of figures as seen below, it's a 2-rate economy 7 or white meter.
One reading is for your lower priced night-rate electricity - this will be marked 'low' or ‘rate 1’.
The other is for your day rate and is marked 'normal' or 'rate 2’.
Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right.
Include any zeros at the start but ignore any digits in red or ones that come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Electricity dial meter

An electricity dial meter has 5 or more dials. They each turn to point to a number between 0 and 9.
Starting with the far-left dial, write down the number that the pointer has just passed. For example, if the pointer is anywhere between 4 and 5, you should write down 4.
If the pointer is sitting directly over a number, write this down and underline it.
If you’ve underlined a number, check the next dial to the right. If the pointer on that dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the number you’ve underlined by 1. For example, if you originally wrote down 4, change it to 3.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Traditional gas meters

Gas imperial meter

If your gas meter has a row of five numbers, it's an imperial digital meter.
Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right including any leading zeros.
Ignore any numbers in red or ones that come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Gas metric digital meter

If the row is six numbers long, you have a metric domestic meter.
Write down the digits as you read them, from left to right including any leading zeros.
Ignore any numbers in red or ones that come after the decimal point.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Gas dial meter

A gas dial meter has 4 or more dials. They each turn to point to a number between 0 and 9.
Starting with the far-left dial, write down the number that the pointer has just passed. For example, if the pointer is anywhere between 4 and 5, you should write down 4.
If the pointer is sitting directly over a number, write this down and underline it.
If you’ve underlined a number, check the next dial to the right. If the pointer on that dial is between 9 and 0, reduce the number you’ve underlined by 1. For example, if you originally wrote down 4, change it to 3.

Watch the video below for more help on reading this meter type.

Smart meters

We have created an online guide to help you read your smart meter.
Simply select your meter type and brand and follow the instructions to read your meter.

FAQs

We receive meter readings from your smart meter automatically based on your preferences – you can choose between daily, hourly, or half-hourly. However, there may be occasions when you need to submit a manual meter reading, for example:

If you’ve recently switched your energy supply to us, but we cannot connect to your meter
If we’re unable to communicate with your meter
You want to check your meter reading - for example, to see how it’s changed recently
You’re changing supplier and the new supplier requests a meter reading.

If your smart meter is communicating with us, we’ll receive your meter readings automatically based on your frequency preferences (you can choose between daily, hourly or half-hourly). If you have a traditional meter or we have issues obtaining a reading from your smart meter automatically, there are three ways you can submit a meter reading:

Log in to your online account and select ‘Enter Meter Reading’.
Download the free ScottishPower App, log in and click the ‘Enter your readings’ tile.
Call our 24-hour automated meter reading service on 0800 027 8000.

Learn more about how to read your smart electricity and gas meter(s) in our handy guides here.

We recommend providing meter readings so that your bills are based on energy you’ve used rather than relying on an estimate.

If we need to provide estimated bills, you may build up a credit (meaning you’re paying too much) or debt on your account (meaning you’re not paying enough).

An adjusted bill is provided when the bills we’ve sent you previously have been based on estimated meter readings and we’ve now received your actual meter readings. We use the actual reads you or one of our meter readers has provided to recalculate your charges and give you an adjusted bill to reflect the energy you’ve used.

We can issue an adjusted bill up to 12 months after we have issued the original estimated bill. This is in line with your terms and conditions (Section 8.8).

There’s no need to provide regular meter readings if you have a prepayment meter. Your meter readings are sent to us automatically each time you top up with your key or card. There may be occasions when we need you to provide a manual meter reading, for example:

If you’ve recently switched your energy supply to us, but we cannot connect to your meter
If we’re unable to communicate with your meter
You want to check your meter reading - for example, to see how it’s changed recently.
You’re changing supplier and the new supplier requests a reading
If you top up your meter frequently, we won’t receive regular meter readings
If you’re moving into a new home
If you request a refund, we’ll need to check your account is up to date using actual meter readings.

Last updated: 15 August 2024

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