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Meter readings

Gas and standard electricity meters

Electricity meters are usually owned and read by electricity retailers, and natural gas meters are owned and read by gas distributors.

Your retailer or distributor will arrange for someone to come to your place to read the meters. They must do this at least once a year, but usually this will happen around the time you are due to receive a bill.

It is your responsibility to make sure that it is safe and easy to get to your meter.

If the meter readers can't get to your meters – for example, your meters are behind a locked fence or your dog won't let them near the meters – you need to contact your retailer or distributor and let them know when it is safe and easy to get to your meters.

Smart meters

Smart meters are a special type of electricity meter. They are new and are sometimes called interval meters.

They are different to other meters because they:

  • record how much electricity a house or business is using at regular intervals during a day
  • send the readings directly to your energy distributor electronically.

This means no one has to come to your premises to:

  • read your electricity meter
  • work out how much electricity you used when you change retailers or move house.

Smart meters can let you know a lot about:

  • how much electricity you use
  • when you use electricity.

Your energy retailer or distributor may also provide a website where you can register for an online account that will allow you to check your electricity usage and download your data at any time.

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Last updated on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 2:42 PM