How often do I do meter readings?

kindofagilr

I just moved into a property with OH on the 9th April, I read the Gas and Electric meter and I rang Npower today with my readings.

The lovely lady on the phone opened up an account for us, and took the readings, we are paying DD and the first payment comes out on 2nd May 09.

She said she was putting me on £30 gas and £40 electric (I may have mixed the two of those up) for now.

When do I need to do another reading? and do I do the reading and ring them (or go online) and give them the reading? or do they come out?

How many readings gets done a year? are they done every quarter?

Thanks in advance

Magentasue

Your meters should be read at least once every two years. They used to be read quarterly but most people probably get theirs read less frequently nowadays. If you have an online account, you can enter readings, otherwise you can ring them. I would suggest at least quarterly. Being obsessive about utility bills these days, I read meters once a week and submit readings on the last day of every month.

Through the summer months, you should be using much less gas than you're paying for so that you'll have a credit balance at the beginning of the winter. Electricity doesn't vary so drastically. Some people use a bit more because of having lights on longer. Some use a bit less because they don't use an electric shower so much in the winter. Some use a lot more because they use a tumble drier a lot in the winter.

tanith

I would register on the online website and most of the info you request will be there..
I am with Scottish Power and my bills are all accessible online there is loads of info there .. they send me a reminder a few weeks before a bill is due that they require a meter reading , I put the reading in and generate a bill myself... they do also come and read the meter once or twice a year... no paper bills its all online

NowThenAgain

To avoid the kind of nasty surprise a lot of people seem to be experiencing at the moment, take readings as often as possible.

I take them more than weekly but then I have been obsessed with it this winter.!

Alan_Vickers

I take gas and electric meter readings weekly, for my own information and also to provide to the 'iMeasure' website. I provide readings to British Gas fortnightly and also late on the evening before price changes. I asked BG for the dates of the next bills so that I can provide readings late on the evening before but they have not provided me with the information so I will change to weekly readings or thereabouts during the few weeks before I estimate that the bills are due so that any estimated readings are not wildly out.

Alan Vickers.

basmic

I would do it weekly for say two months, then at the end or beggining of each month.

SkintGypsy

I like to read mine every month, the day my direct debit has been taken. A new bill gets generated, and if its higher than I would like I then spend the next month being extra careful with my usage. One months high usage can easily be corrected, but three months over a cold winter might make for an unpleasant surprise and a large hike in the DD amount.

kindofagilr

Thanks guys

I was going to read them again on thursday just to see how we are going (we moved in last thursday)

And I also signed up for that website Imeasure (but dont have the net at home till 20th and the email activation link has been sent to yahoo email which is blocked from work (where I am at the min)) so I cant input it all in there yet, cos I thought that website looked like a good idea.

Ok so as soon as my info pack comes from Npower (which should be with me within 7 days) and I have my customer account number I will register online and enter my meter readings often, I will have a think about if I am going to enter them every week or every month?

Magentasue

Every month is enough. I take mine every week for imeasure and a spreadsheet but only submit once a month. We read the water meter once a month too, so that, in theory we would know if there was a hidden leak before a huge bill comes in.

basmic

Well whatever you choose, just make a simple spreadsheet in Excel to keep logs of your meter readings. I have a spreadsheet that has meter readings from as far back as August 2004.

kindofagilr

Oh thats a good idea thanks guys!