How to read your business energy meters

1. I’ve just moved into a business premises

When you take on new premises, it’s important to locate your energy meters, take readings and send them to your supplier. The reading should be taken on the day you move in, even if you’ve not yet fully set up an account with your supplier, to ensure you don’t end up being billed for gas and electricity you haven’t used.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Identify each meter: first, you’ll need to locate where the energy meters are situated on your premises. Speak to your landlord if you’re not sure where they are.
2. Note the serial number(s): jot down the serial number on each meter - this is typically an alphanumeric code stamped on the front of the meter, often near a barcode or prefixed by S/N. It can also be found on a recent energy bill, if the previous inhabitant left one. Write them down and take a photo of each, too.
3. Take a meter reading: follow the guide below, noting the date and time you took the reading.
4. Submit the reading: this is usually done online or via an app, or over the phone. If necessary, attach the photos of your readings. If you’ve not set up an account prior to moving in, you’ll need to share this with the property’s current supplier.
5. Keep evidence: you may need to prove the date and time you took on the premises - make sure you keep any documents that prove this to show your supplier if it asks.

If you don’t know the property’s current supplier, you can get this information, as well as the property’s unique MPAN (electricity) and MPRN (gas) numbers, from two sources:

• Electricity: use the Energy Networks Association postcode tool to identify the network operator, then contact it to get the supplier details
• Gas: use the online Find My Supplier postcode tool, which will list your gas supplier.

2. I’m being billed for estimated readings

An estimated reading is an educated guess of your energy usage based on past usage. They usually occur when no recent meter reading has been sent to your supplier - non-smart meters require you or a third party to take the readings and pass them on to the supplier, while smart meters may stop sending readings if they lose communication.

To rectify this, send a meter reading and ensure your supplier has acknowledged receipt:

• Compare readings: compare the reading on your most recent bill - which should be clearly marked as ‘E’ or ‘Estimate’ - with the current reading on your meter
• Take a new reading: make a note of the current meter reading, and take a dated and timed photograph
• Submit the new reading: visit your supplier’s website to either submit a reading directly or find the correct contact details for doing so. Keep any receipt (such as an email) as proof if needed.

If the meter reading is substantially different to the estimated figure, your supplier should send you an updated bill based on the corrected readings. If your meter reading was substantially higher than the estimate, you may face a catch-up bill to cover the difference; if it’s lower, you may be offered a refund or a credit applied to your next bill.

However, you may need to escalate things if:

• The catch-up bill seems unusually large - double-check your meter reading versus what is on the bill
• Your account isn’t updated after sending the meter reading to your supplier
• You continue to receive estimated bills even after sending regular meter readings.

In most cases, you should be able to resolve these issues with your supplier, but keep hold of any evidence in case you need to present it again and request a new bill. If the issue persists, and you’re a microbusiness or small business, Citizens’ Advice offers a guide to escalating your complaint through the Energy Ombudsman.

3. I have a smart meter for my business

A business smart meter works in the same way as a consumer smart meter: readings are taken automatically at regular intervals and uploaded to your supplier. In theory, this means you should never need to take a meter reading to receive accurate, up-to-date bills.

However, there may still be times when you’ll need to take a meter reading manually. They include:

• If your supplier requests one
• When first moving into new premises
• The meter has stopped sending automatic readings, or you continue to receive bills based on estimated readings.

It’s also worth periodically comparing the meter readings on a freshly received bill with those on your smart meter. If applicable, also log in to your online account and check the reading history to verify that readings are accurate and being sent regularly.

If, for any reason, your meter readings aren’t being recorded by your supplier, get in touch to:

• Supply a manual meter reading
• Ask the supplier if it’s receiving readings from your smart meter
• Get advice on further steps if readings aren’t being received, such as whether the meter has developed a fault and requires repair or replacement.

4. I have a half-hourly meter for my business

If you’re running a business from a large site - or one that uses high amounts of energy - it’s likely your business has a half-hourly meter installed.

While half-hourly meters usually send readings automatically to your supplier, there may be times when you need to read the meter and send a reading manually, such as when:

• Your supplier requests it
• You move into new premises
• There’s a dispute over the figures shown on your most recent bill
• Data is missing, which suggests the meter isn’t communicating with your supplier
• Recent changes to the meter have been applied.

You should also carefully check any bills or statements you receive - compare the readings listed with those on your meter to ensure they’re both up to date and don’t vary wildly. Also, keep an eye out for any unexpected spikes that may indicate a problem.

If you encounter any problems, contact your supplier in the first instance - it may direct you to the metering operator if the problem appears to be with the meter.

5. My bill doesn’t match my meter reading

If the meter reading on your bill differs hugely from your most recently submitted meter reading, check the following:

• Confirm you have the correct reading: make sure you’ve submitted readings from the correct meter and - in the case of a multi-rate meter - correct readout
• Check you’ve submitted the correct numbers: check you’ve not inadvertently submitted additional - and unwanted - numbers, such as those after a decimal point or those on specific dials 
• Check bill in detail: the meter reading is only part of the story - you need to also verify the billing period, in case your meter reading was submitted too late to be included, along with other details such as unit rates, standing charges, VAT and Climate Change Levy treatments, which can all affect the bill amount
• Check for catch-up charges: if previous bills were estimated, then there may be a large catch-up charge to pay because your usage has been higher than what you’ve paid for.

If you find any discrepancies, you’ll need to contact your supplier first to challenge the bill and ask how it arrived at this figure. You may be able to request a re-bill if a mistake is found, but be prepared to provide evidence to back up your claims, such as:

• Dated photos of both the meter reading and its serial number
• The page of the bill showing which meter readings have been used and the billing period
• Confirmation of any previous meter readings you’ve submitted (such as an email).