If your business uses gas to help power its operations, you need to know how to read your gas meter. It is important to provide your business gas supplier with accurate meter readings to avoid usage estimations. Estimations of your business gas usage could be misjudged and may result in your business paying too much for its energy.
Gas meters display your energy usage in either imperial or metric measurements. An imperial meter will take a gas reading in cubic feet and a metric gas reading will be in cubic metres. When reading an imperial gas meter, you should use the first 4 digits, and ignore the digits after the decimal points. Metric meters normally display 5 digits, and similarly to imperial, the digits after the decimal point are ignored.
Business gas meters need to be checked every 2 years to make sure they are taking readings accurately and are safe to use, as required by law. Most meters can last up to 25 years.
HOW TO READ A DIGITAL BUSINESS GAS METER
Digital business gas meters are read similarly to business electricity meters, from left to right while ignoring the numbers after the decimal place. Be sure to make a note of whether your meter readings are taken in cubic feet or cubic metres to ensure you are providing accurate details to your business gas supplier.
HOW TO READ A BUSINESS GAS DIAL METER
It can appear more difficult to read dial meters when measuring your business gas usage, however, it is very straightforward once you understand how they work.
Dial meters are read from left to right, but remember that each dial alternates between clockwise and anti-clockwise. If a dial is pointing between two numbers, use the lower number for your reading. If a dial is pointing directly at a number, underline that number and if the next dial is pointing at 9, then subtract 1 from the underlined number.
HOW TO READ AN ELECTRONIC BUSINESS GAS METER
Electronic business gas meters are read in the same way that digital gas meter readings are taken. You should read your meter from left to right, and ignore any numbers after the decimal place or that are displayed in red. As with all business gas meters, remember to take note of whether your measurement is being taken in cubic feet or cubic metres.
We advise that if you do not use an automatic meter, you should take regular gas readings and submit them to your supplier to ensure you receive accurate business gas bills. The more frequently you take your gas meter readings, the easier it will become to understand how to read your meter.