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Meters and readings

How to submit a meter reading to Octopus Energy

Where to send an Octopus meter reading, how often to do it, how to read each type of meter and what to do when a reading looks wrong.

Edited by Rob Gibbs. Published: . Guidance reviewed: .

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Short answer

Send it through your Octopus online account or app, reply to the monthly reminder email, or email a clear photo of the meter. If you have a working smart meter, Octopus should get readings automatically and you do not need to send them. Without one, send a reading every month so your bills use real figures, not estimates.

Three ways to send a reading

Octopus accepts readings in whichever way is easiest for you. Each goes to the same account, so pick one and stick with it.

  • Online account or app: open the meter reading page, type in the digits and submit. This is the quickest way, and the reading shows on your account straight away.
  • Monthly reminder email: Octopus emails non-smart customers a reminder you can reply to with your numbers.
  • Email: send the reading, or a clear photo of the meter display, to Octopus’s customer email address. A photo is useful evidence if a reading is ever disputed.

How often to send one

With a traditional or non-communicating meter, Octopus recommends a reading every month, or as often as you can. Between readings, bills are based on estimates of your usage, and estimates drift. You either build up credit or fall behind without noticing.

There are a few times when a reading really matters: the day you switch supplier, the day you move in or out, the day a tariff or price changes, and after a meter is replaced. Each one draws a line under one set of prices and starts the next.

Reading the different meter types

A digital single-rate meter shows one number. Note the digits before any decimal point or any red digits. A dial meter needs each dial read left to right; if a pointer sits between two numbers, take the lower one.

An Economy 7 or other two-rate meter records day and night use separately. You need both numbers, labelled correctly, or the day and night units will be priced the wrong way round. On a smart meter you usually step through the screens with a button until you see each register.

If you have a smart meter

A smart meter that is connected and talking to Octopus sends readings automatically, often every half hour. You should not need to submit anything. Some smart meters drop into “dumb” mode, though, especially older SMETS1 meters after a change of supplier. If your bills say “estimated”, treat the meter as non-smart and send readings until it is fixed.

When a reading is rejected or looks wrong

Suppliers check each reading against what they expect, and an unusually high or low figure can be flagged. Check you have not swapped day and night registers, misread a dial, or included decimal digits. Then send it again with a photo. If the meter itself seems faulty, tell Octopus rather than carrying on with estimates.

Questions people ask

Do I need to send meter readings if I have a smart meter?

Not if it is working in smart mode, because Octopus receives readings automatically. If your bill shows estimated readings, the meter may not be communicating, so send manual readings and ask Octopus to check it.

What happens if I never send a reading?

Your bills are based on estimates. You will not be cut off, but the estimates can be well off, leaving you with a large credit or a debt when a real reading finally arrives.

Which number do I send from an Economy 7 meter?

Both. Send the day (normal) and night (low) registers separately, and label them, so each is billed at the right rate.

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