Check if your energy meter isn't working properly

Meter faults are rare. If your bill is higher than expected, it’s usually caused by something else. You should check if there is another reason your bill is higher than expected.

Your meter could be inaccurate or faulty if: 

• you're paying more than usual

• you get a bill you weren’t expecting

• your prepayment meter is showing an error message

Your supplier is responsible for making sure your meter works properly.

If you're renting and your landlord pays the energy bills, tell them you think the meter might not be working. They will be responsible for contacting the energy supplier and sorting out the issue.

If you have a prepayment meter

If the screen is blank or showing a message such as ‘error’, ‘call help’ or ‘battery’, there’s probably a fault with the meter. Tell your supplier straight away or you could be left with no energy.

If your electricity or gas has already stopped, your supplier has to send someone to repair or replace the meter. They have to arrive at your home within 3 hours - or within 4 hours on a weekend or bank holiday.

If your power supply is still working, your supplier still has to take appropriate action. This means they need to take steps to repair or replace your meter. For example, they might book an appointment for someone to repair or replace the meter. They have to take appropriate action within 3 hours - or 4 hours on a weekend or bank holiday.

The supplier doesn’t have to send someone out if they can fix the problem remotely - but they must do this within the same time.

If you need to top up your meter while you're waiting for your supplier, they should provide you with replacement tokens.

If your supplier doesn’t take appropriate action within the time they must pay you £30 compensation within 10 working days. If they don't pay you on time they have to pay an extra £30 for the delay.

If you have a credit meter

Carry out these checks to see if your meter is faulty:

• switch off all the appliances in your home including any pilot lights

• check if the numbers on the meter's display are still moving

If the meter stops, turn on 1 appliance at a time and check the meter. If the meter starts to move very quickly, the appliance could be faulty.

If the meter is still moving, it's probably faulty. If it's a gas meter, you might have a gas leak - report it immediately to the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

You should contact your supplier to investigate the problem with your meter. They can arrange for it to be tested. From the day you tell your supplier about the problem, they have 5 working days to do all of the following:

• investigate the problem

• take action to help them fix the problem 

• offer to confirm everything in writing, including what they’ve done to investigate the problem, what they’ll do to fix it and how long it will take

If your supplier doesn’t do all of these things within 5 working days they have to pay you £30 compensation. They must pay you this compensation within 10 working days. If they don't pay you on time they have to pay you an extra £30 for the delay.

Getting your meter tested by your supplier

Your supplier might first ask you to take daily meter readings over 7 days to check your usage. If this doesn’t prove anything, they might carry out further tests to check whether the meter is accurate. For example, they might install a second meter for a couple of weeks to compare the readings - this is sometimes called a ‘check meter’. 

Take a reading before your meter is tested. Check how to read your gas or electricity meter.

You can take a photo of the meter reading - this can help to avoid any dispute if you get a bill.

Important

Check if your supplier will charge you to test your meter

If the test shows your meter is working properly, your supplier might ask you to pay for the test - this could be around £200. Check with your supplier before arranging any tests.

If you’re not happy with the way your supplier investigates the meter the test, you can ask them to send for your meter to be checked by an independent examiner to do a meter accuracy test.

Book an appointment with your supplier to test your meter

Your supplier should offer you an appointment as soon as they can. This depends on how urgent your appointment is and how busy they are.

Appointments are usually within normal working hours. Working hours usually means between 9am and 5pm. You usually have to choose a time slot between 2 and 4 hours.

If they offer an appointment that doesn't work for you, ask for a different date and time. Your supplier should say yes if they can.

Your supplier must pay you compensation if they:

• miss the appointment

• change the appointment without your agreement and with less than 1 working day’s notice

• send someone without the right qualifications or tools to do the work

They’ll pay you £30 compensation within 10 working days. If they haven’t paid within 10 working days, they’ll pay you another £30.

After your meter is tested

The independent examiner will send you a certificate telling you if the meter is accurate or not.

If your meter is inaccurate

Your supplier should replace it. They should also refund you any money they owe you because of the inaccurate meter - for example, if you paid more than you should have on a bill.

You might be able to claim compensation too - ask your supplier.

If your meter is accurate

Your supplier might charge you for removing your meter and installing a replacement. The cost will vary between suppliers, but might be around £200.

If your supplier has gone bust

You should contact your new supplier to report any problems. You can get their contact details from their website. 

It might take a while for your information to be moved from your old supplier to your new supplier. This means your new supplier might not be able to help with your problem straight away.

If you’re not happy

If you feel that your supplier has not followed the correct procedure, or you’re unhappy with the result, you should make a complaint to your supplier.

Further help

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone or online chat.