Dumb question alert! How do I read my PAYG meter?

torncurtain

I have a PAYG meter for electricity, I've called the company who supply my electricity and they're only able to provide an estimate. There's a figure that appears on the meter when I roll through the screen, but it's huge and absolutely not reflective of how much I spend in a month.

Is there a way to get an accurate reading? Or, should I look at keeping track of spend per week instead, and then guess what I would be using throughout the year? I'd like to be as accurate as possible to know if I should pursue switching providers.

Owain_Moneysaver

One of the screens will be the meter reading in kWh since the meter was installed/reset. You'll need to write that down and compare it with the same reading a month later to get your monthly consumption.

Other screens will give the pence per kWh and the £ per week standing charge.

Skools_Out

torncurtain wrote: »

I have a PAYG meter for electricity, I've called the company who supply my electricity and they're only able to provide an estimate. There's a figure that appears on the meter when I roll through the screen, but it's huge and absolutely not reflective of how much I spend in a month.

Is there a way to get an accurate reading? Or, should I look at keeping track of spend per week instead, and then guess what I would be using throughout the year? I'd like to be as accurate as possible to know if I should pursue switching providers.

It may depend on the exact type of PPM you have, but here is BG's advice:
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/meters/pay-as-you-go/faq/how-do-i-get-my-pay-as-you-go-meter-reading

torncurtain

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

One of the screens will be the meter reading in kWh since the meter was installed/reset. You'll need to write that down and compare it with the same reading a month later to get your monthly consumption.

Other screens will give the pence per kWh and the £ per week standing charge.

Thanks so much, this makes perfect sense.

If this meter wasn't reset, my goodness I'm an electricity hog! I don't spend all that much monthly, so I don't think this meter has ever been reset! Do you know of any way to determine when a meter was installed?

Many thanks again, this is very helpful.

torncurtain

Skools_Out wrote: »

It may depend on the exact type of PPM you have, but here is BG's advice:
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/meters/pay-as-you-go/faq/how-do-i-get-my-pay-as-you-go-meter-reading

I have an H, and although there's a figure it would equate to me spending far more than I currently do spend.

There is a figure, which may/may not be the year that the meter was installed but on the physical meter and not in the menu. I've used this date to try and determine what my yearly use would be and it does seem more reflective of what I guesstimate I spend monthly, however it's still rather high. I think I'll check what the difference is from today to next month and go from there.

Skools_Out

torncurtain wrote: »

I have an H, and although there's a figure it would equate to me spending far more than I currently do spend.

There is a figure, which may/may not be the year that the meter was installed but on the physical meter and not in the menu. I've used this date to try and determine what my yearly use would be and it does seem more reflective of what I guesstimate I spend monthly, however it's still rather high. I think I'll check what the difference is from today to next month and go from there.

Meters, apart possibly from smart meters, do not record consumption at any given time or over any given period, but rather record total cumulative consumption.

If you want to know what you have used over time, you will indeed have to take meter readings at the start and end of the required period and work it out yourself.

torncurtain

Thanks Skools_Out! This isn't tricky, and will hopefully put me closer to saving money vs spending unconsciously.

Thanks for helping out this luddite.

[Deleted User]

torncurtain wrote: »

I have an H, and although there's a figure it would equate to me spending far more than I currently do spend.

There is a figure, which may/may not be the year that the meter was installed but on the physical meter and not in the menu. I've used this date to try and determine what my yearly use would be and it does seem more reflective of what I guesstimate I spend monthly, however it's still rather high. I think I'll check what the difference is from today to next month and go from there.

Screen " H " will give the total kwh reading only for when the present occupier started with the supplier. Screen " G " will give the total kwh s since the meter was installed. This reading is more useful. BG use this reading, other suppliers may use screen H