Do I need to read the meters when I leave?
Reading Utility Meters on Moving Out
Yes, it is strongly recommended and often essential to read your utility meters when leaving a property. This practical step ensures accuracy for your final bills and helps prevent potential disputes with energy or water suppliers.
Why Meter Readings Are Important
Accurate meter readings provide a clear cut-off point for your responsibility regarding utility costs. Without them, suppliers might estimate your usage, which could lead to you being overcharged for energy or water consumed by the next occupants. For both customers and removal professionals, ensuring this step is completed contributes to a smooth and fair transition.
Which Meters to Read and Where to Find Them
The primary meters to locate and read are for electricity and gas. In some properties, water meters also need to be read, particularly if the water supply is metered rather than charged at a flat rate via council tax.
Common meter locations include:
- Under the stairs
- In a utility cupboard
- Outside on an exterior wall (often near the front door or side gate)
- In a basement or garage
- For flats, meters can sometimes be in communal areas or a service cupboard.
How to Take and Record Readings
On the day of your move, ideally just before the property is completely vacated and all items have been moved, take a final reading from each meter. Note down the exact date and time of each reading. It is highly advisable to take a clear photograph of each meter display alongside your written record. This photographic evidence can be invaluable should any discrepancies arise later.
- Digital Meters: Simply record the numbers displayed.
- Older Dial Meters: Read the dials from left to right, noting the number the pointer has *just* passed. If a pointer is directly on a number, check the dial to its right; if that dial has not passed zero, then record the lower number for the current dial.
Notifying Your Suppliers
Once you have your final meter readings, contact your electricity, gas, and water suppliers. Provide them with these readings and the date you are moving out. This is a crucial part of the process when considering when should I disconnect utilities?.
Also, ensure you provide a forwarding address for your final bill. It is common for people to overlook this, but suppliers still need to reach you for settlement. Remember to inform all necessary parties of your change of address, including considering who else needs my new address?.
Smart Meters and What to Do
If your property has smart meters, they are designed to send readings automatically to your supplier. However, it is still prudent to take a manual reading and photograph on moving day, especially if the smart meter has been known to lose connection or if there is any doubt about its functionality. Treat it as a backup measure, a belt-and-braces approach to ensuring everything is correct.
Final Checks on Moving Day
Before locking up, ensure all non-essential appliances are unplugged. It is also good practice to switch off the main electricity supply at the consumer unit and the gas supply at the meter, if you feel comfortable and confident doing so safely. This prevents any accidental usage post-vacation and provides peace of mind.