What Kind Of Electricity Meter Do I Have?

[Rodge2]

We are trying to change power supplier. The new supplier asked for meter readings, but only gave 5 boxes for me to fill in for the electricity reading. I told them our meter has 6 digits. I have spent a lot of the day in discussion with them, and supplying loads of photographs of readings taken over the last few years. They now say it is a 5 digit meter, and we have been giving our readings in the wrong format (as have all the other people who lived here before us, presumably). Can anyone tell me if it is a 5 digit, or a 6 digit, please? I haven't inserted a photo before so please excuse me if this goes wrong: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/129267451793661474/

[Buenchico]

As you've shown it, your meter reading is 04413, as that's the number of kWh that have been used since it was first installed. (I'm assuming there's not a digit that we can't see off to the left of the image). Anything to the right of where the 3 is can be ignored, as power suppliers ignore fractions of a kilowatt-hour.

[Rodge2]

Sorry, when I click on it I can see all of it. The reading is 104413

[douglas9401]

Yup, six digits.

[Rodge2]

Is this any better? https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/129267451793661545

[Rodge2]

I have just had another email from them. She says the extreme right digit (with a 1 under it) should be represented after a decimal point ie. 10441.3

[Buenchico]

Your second image only has three digits showing when I view it (and it's not 'clickable' to expand the view).

This is, by far, the best site for uploading images:
http://upl.co/
(Copy the 'Direct link' and paste it here).

As you've explained, your meter does appear to have 6 digits though. A 5 digit meter should have an extra 6th digit in red (or with a red surround), as illustrated here
https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/meter-electricity-digital.png
The 'red' digit is counting tenths of a unit and can be ignored. However the '3' in your first image is definitely in the 'units' column (and NOT in a non-existent tenths column) and therefore forms the final digit of your meter reading.

[Rodge2]

Thanks. Here it is: http://www.upl.co/upload/q3Aj0Qi4Y

[Buenchico]

That's most definitely a 6-digit meter then (with the 'tenths' being indicated by the way that the little marks to the right of the final digit line up with the indented mark to the left of the arrow, rather than by the more usual 'red' digit). I can't recall ever having seen a 6-digit analogue meter before (although there are plenty of digital ones around) but that's mot definitely what it is!

[douglas9401]

The image clearly shows what each digit is counting.
100,000
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
That's six categories in my world.

[Rodge2]

I just feel like cancelling the move to them. It is like trying to communicate with a brick.

[douglas9401]

Stick around, Rodge, lots of that goes on here. :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Check your last reading and see what it read. Should be easy to tell which figures it used.

[Tuvok]

I would agree 6 digits - and if they can't read that with the units indicated below the reading - !!!!

Apparantly there is a national database that lists the type of meter you have: some electric company websites give you an instant answer eg. if you have a smart meter and ask for a price from a firm that don't do smart meters the site tells you immediately that they can't help you - and they do this purely by you putting your address in, not having to specify whay meter you have yourself! So why they don't believe you is anybodys guess.

[Tuvok]

Try this company - I'm with them.

When my neightbour tried them for a quote online, thats when their site recognised instantly she had a smart meter.

[Tuvok]

https://www.symbioenergy.co.uk/amp/

[Buenchico]

If it's an 'initial' meter reading, for a new supplier, rather than a 'latest' one (for an existing supplier), you can actually ignore the first digit anyway. That's because if, say, you provide a 'start' reading of 99900 (rather than a true reading of 499900), followed by a later one of 00100 (rather than a true one of 500100), the supplier will simply assume that you've got a 5-digit meter that's 'gone around the clock' and still (correctly) charge you for 200 units.