How to read your smart electric meter

A smart electric meter measures how much electricity you use and automatically sends this information to your energy supplier.

When you get one installed, you’ll usually get two devices:

Smart electric meter

This records your actual usage and will usually be fixed to a wall, either inside or outside your home.

Smart energy monitor 

Also called an in-home display (IHD), this is a small, portable screen that shows your real-time electricity use in pounds and pence.

So if you’re asked to read your meter, make sure you’re looking at the smart meter itself and not your in-home display. 

It’s the reading from the smart meter that your supplier will want.

In most cases, your smart meter will send readings automatically.

But sometimes you’ll need to take one yourself.

For example, you might recently have changed energy supplier and the new one might ask you for an opening reading.

Alternatively, you might have an older model and it’s stopped sending data, or your supplier might ask for a reading as a backup or check.

A smart meter can also be a really useful budgeting tool, so you might want to check your usage yourself to make sure you’re not paying more than you can afford on energy.

You can usually submit your reading: 

• on your energy supplier’s website
• through their app
• by calling their customer service team

Electric meters are usually found in one of the following places:

• inside your home, such as a cupboard, hallway or under the stairs
• outside your home - in a meter box near the front or back door
• in a flat - in a communal area or hall cupboard

If you’re not sure where your electric meter is, take a look at your energy bill as the location may be stated there.

And if you’re still stuck, get in touch with your supplier.

There are two main types of smart meters:

• SMETS1 - first generation smart meters
• SMETS2 - second generation smart meters 

You might also be on:

• a single rate tariff - same rate for electricity at all times
• a two-rate tariff (like Economy 7) - cheaper electricity at night and more expensive during the day

To find out what type of meter or tariff you’re on, you can:

• check your energy bill
• log into your supplier’s website or app
• ask your supplier directly

If your electric meter is in a place that’s hard to reach, or you can’t read it because of a physical or visual impairment, speak to your energy supplier.

They have to give you adequate support if you have any mobility issues, disabilities or accessibility needs.

In that case, they might send someone to read the meter for you, offer another way to submit readings or move the meter to a better, more accessible location.

You may also be able to get extra help from your energy supplier by signing up to the Priority Services Register. To sign up, you must be one of the following:  

• a pensioner
• disabled  
• have young children
• living with a long-term health condition
• classed as ‘vulnerable’ by your energy network  

To sign up, contact your supplier.

Smart meters can look very different depending on the make and model, but as a general rule: 

• press the right button to wake up the screen.
• look for a screen that shows a number followed by KWH - this is your reading.
• write down the numbers from left to right.
• ignore any zeroes at the start and any numbers after a decimal point.

If you pay a single rate, look for a reading that ends in KWH or says "Total Active Import", "IMP KWH", or something similar.

If you pay two rates (Economy 7 or similar), you’ll have two readings:

• one for day/peak usage
• one for night/off-peak usage

Keep pressing until you see Rate 1 / R01 / TOU 1 - this is usually your night rate.

Press again to see Rate 2 / R02 / TOU 2 - this is your day rate.

If you’re not sure which is which, check both readings in the morning, then again in the evening. 

The one that changes during the day is your day (peak) rate.

Meters with A and B buttons

These meters usually show information by pressing the A button.

If you pay a single rate:

• press the A button once to wake up the screen
• press A again until you see "TOTAL ACT IMPORT" or something similar
• look for a number followed by KWH
• write down the numbers from left to right
• ignore any zeroes at the beginning and anything after a decimal point

Meters with three unmarked buttons

These meters often have three buttons with no labels.

If you pay a single rate:

• Press the middle button to wake up the screen
• look for the screen that shows "IMP" followed by a number
• write down the number shown
• ignore any zeroes at the beginning and anything after the decimal point

If you pay two rates:

• press the middle button to cycle through readings
• R1 is usually your night/off-peak reading
• R2 is usually your day/peak reading
• T is your total usage 

For each reading:

• write down the numbers from left to right
• ignore zeroes at the start and any digits after a decimal point

Meters with coloured buttons (green, blue, orange, yellow)

Meters with coloured buttons (green, blue, orange, yellow)

Green A button and white or grey B button

Single rate:

• press the white or grey B button to wake the screen
• wait until it says “Meter boost?”
• press A to say No
• you should then see a number followed by KWH - this is your reading
• write it down, ignoring zeroes at the start and anything after a decimal point

Two rates:

• press the green A button
• press A again to show:
  • "Rate 01 Act Imp" - night/off-peak reading
  • "Rate 02 Act Imp" - day/peak reading
•  write down each reading 
• ignore starting zeroes and anything after a decimal point

Blue A button and orange B button

Single rate:

• press the blue A button to wake the screen
• press A again until you see “Total Active Import KWH”
• write down the reading from left to right
• ignore zeroes at the start and any digits after a decimal point

Two rates:

• press the blue A button
• keep pressing until you see:
  • “TOU Rate 1” – night/off-peak
  • “TOU Rate 2” – day/peak
• write down both readings, ignoring leading zeroes and decimal points

Yellow square buttons (to the left of the screen)

Single rate:

• press the right-hand yellow button to wake the screen
• press again until you see TOU 1 with a number and KWH
• write down the number shown
• ignore zeroes at the start and decimal points

Two rates:

• press the right-hand yellow button
• press again to scroll between:
  • TOU 1 – night/off-peak
  • TOU 2 – day/peak
• write down each number
• ignore zeroes at the beginning and digits after a decimal point

Meters that scroll automatically

Some smart meters change screens every few seconds.

If you have one of these:

• wait until you see a screen showing a number followed by KWH
• you won’t need to press any buttons
• write down the number from left to right
• ignore leading zeroes and decimal points

Common models like Kaifa MA120 work this way.

Meters with a ‘Reconnect’ or ‘Display Select’ button

These meters often have one or two buttons, labelled something like "Display" or "Reconnect".

If you have one of these meters:

• press the Display or Display Select button to cycle through the screens
• look for the one showing a number followed by KWH - this is your reading
• write it down from left to right
• ignore any zeroes at the beginning and digits after the decimal point