Meter Readings on Moving Day
How to read gas and electricity meters correctly, what to photograph, and why five seconds on moving day prevents a billing dispute months later.
- Take readings at both properties on the day you move.
- Photograph each meter with the serial number visible in frame.
- Record both figures if you have an Economy 7 or two-rate meter.
- Take a manual reading even with a smart meter — connections can drop during a change of occupancy.
Somewhere between the survey and the removal quotes, someone will suggest taking a meter reading on moving day. It sounds like a formality. It is not.
It is the only evidence of where the previous occupier’s usage ends and yours begins, and skipping it is one of the more expensive five-second decisions available to a new homeowner.
What actually goes wrong without one
With no reading on the day, your supplier has nothing to work from, so it estimates. That estimate splits the billing period at a notional point, and you inherit whatever falls on your side of the line.
If the previous occupier ran the heating hard through their final month, some of that arrives on your first bill. Disputing it later means arguing about a figure nobody recorded, which rarely ends in your favour.
Citizens Advice recommends recording readings when you move and keeping them until the final bill is settled.
Where the meters usually are
| Meter | Common locations |
|---|---|
| Electricity | Hallway cupboard, under the stairs, garage, or an external box on the front wall. |
| Gas | White external box, or a kitchen cupboard in older properties. |
| Water | Outside near the boundary under a small cover, or under the kitchen sink. |
If you cannot locate them, ask the seller before completion. It is a normal question and saves hunting on the day.
How to read each meter type
Digital meters
Record the digits shown, left to right. Ignore anything after a decimal point or displayed in a red box.
Dial meters
Read left to right. Where a pointer sits between two numbers, take the lower one. Where it sits directly on a number, check the dial to its right — if that reads between 0 and 1, drop back to the lower figure.
Economy 7 and two-rate meters
These hold two readings, usually marked low and normal, or rate 1 and rate 2. Record both. Some cycle automatically; others need a button press.
Smart meters
Take a manual reading anyway. Smart meters sometimes lose their connection during a change of occupancy, and your photograph is the backup.
Photograph, do not just write it down. Capture the display and the serial number in the same frame, and check the image is readable before moving on. A phone photograph carries a timestamp — which is exactly what you would need in a dispute. A number scribbled on a moving box does not.
Do the same at the property you are leaving
Take closing readings at your old address on the same day, ideally just before handing over the keys. Otherwise your outgoing supplier estimates the final bill, and estimates on closing accounts tend to run high.
Then open your account
Contact the supplier at your new address within a few days with your name, move-in date and the readings. Until you do, no account exists in your name and estimated charges accumulate against the property.
You are not obliged to stay with that supplier. You are placed with them by default on a deemed contract and can switch whenever you like, without an exit fee, because you never agreed to a term.
Moving-day checklist
- Electricity reading, photographed with serial number visible
- Gas reading, photographed with serial number visible
- Both rates recorded if you have a two-rate meter
- Water meter, if fitted
- Closing readings taken at the old property
- Supplier contacted within a few days
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a manual reading if the property has a smart meter?
Yes. Smart meters can lose their connection when occupancy changes, and a dated photograph gives you a record independent of the supplier’s system.
What if I forgot to take a reading on moving day?
Take one as soon as you can and submit it with your move-in date. The sooner you do, the less estimated usage sits between the two.
Who is liable for energy used before I moved in?
The previous occupier. An opening reading is what separates their usage from yours, which is why the photograph matters.
Want to review the services together?
Book a free 15-minute household-services review covering the energy, broadband and mobile needs relevant to your new home. There is no obligation to switch.
Official sources
- Citizens Advice: Moving home and your energy supply
- Ofgem: Get energy if you are moving home
- Ofgem: Smart meters
This guide provides general information, not regulated financial or emergency support. Service availability, eligibility, prices and contract terms vary. Quantome Commerce Limited operates as an independent authorised partner of a UK multi-service provider and may receive commission if you choose eligible services following an introduction.