There are a few, here's a quick rundown of different energy meter types.
Check out our blog posts for more information on how to take a meter reading, what a gas meter looks like and what an electric meter looks like.
Credit Meters
Credit Meters are the most common type of meter in the UK today. Electricity meters usually measure your electricity consumption in terms of kWh or kilowatt-hours (this is the number of units of energy you use in one hour). Your gas meter will usually measure your gas consumption in terms of Meters Cubed (M³). These meters usually present a reading in numbers.
To take a meter reading, take the first four or five figures displayed from left to right, excluding any red numbers if they appear.
Smart Meters
A Smart meter is a next-generation meter which displays a digital meter reading and can automatically send meter readings to your energy supplier directly for more accurate energy bills. Your smart meter will be provided with a handheld in home display from your provider which will show how much energy you are using in values.
Prepayment Meters
A prepayment meter is a type of meter which can be installed into domestic properties. This kind of meter includes a prepayment or 'pay as you go' tariff, meaning that you are required to pay for your energy before you use it. This is usually done by applying credit to a 'key' or smart card.
Before you buy credit on your new key, you’ll need to activate it. To do this, you will need to insert your top-up key or card into your meter for at least 30 seconds.