Submitting meter readings
Meter readings are how Octopus knows how much energy you’ve actually used. With a working smart meter, this happens automatically. Without one, it’s on you to send them in. Either way, accurate readings are the difference between a correct bill and an estimated one that needs adjusting later.
If you have a smart meter
A working smart meter sends your consumption data to Octopus automatically, typically every 30 minutes for electricity and once or twice daily for gas. If data is flowing properly, you don’t need to submit manual readings at all. The app will show your half-hourly usage within 24 to 48 hours.
To check whether your smart meter is communicating: open the Octopus app and look at your usage data. If you can see recent daily or half-hourly consumption figures, it’s working. You can also read your smart meter data directly from the in-home display. If the data stops at a date weeks or months ago, there’s a communication problem.
Smart meters can lose connection for various reasons. The most common is a supplier switch where the meter needs to be re-enrolled on the new supplier’s system. SMETS1 meters (the older generation) are particularly prone to this, and Octopus is actively replacing SMETS1 meters with SMETS2 models to improve reliability. SMETS2 meters usually transition more smoothly, though Octopus is also upgrading communications hubs on some SMETS2 meters to 4G to future-proof them ahead of the 2G/3G network shutdown. If yours has stopped communicating, contact Octopus through the app or website and they’ll investigate. In the meantime, submit manual readings monthly.
If you don’t have a smart meter
Submit readings through the Octopus app at least once a month. The process takes under a minute. Open the app, tap “Submit a reading”, and either type in the numbers or use the camera to scan your meter display directly. The camera feature reads the numbers automatically, which saves time and reduces the chance of a typo.
You can also submit readings through the Octopus website by logging into your account, by replying to the monthly meter reading reminder email, or by emailing them to hello@octopus.energy. The app is by far the easiest route.
Every time you submit a reading you get a spin of the Wheel of Fortune, with a chance to win account credit. If you’re signed up to Octoplus, you’re guaranteed at least 8 Octopoints per spin.
When to submit: the most useful time is a day or two before your billing date. This ensures the bill is based on an actual reading rather than an estimate. Also submit a reading on the day you switch to or from Octopus, as this gives both suppliers a clean starting and ending point.
More frequent readings (weekly, even daily) won’t hurt anything. They give Octopus a better picture of your usage pattern, which helps them set your direct debit more accurately. Most people find monthly is enough.
How to read your electricity meter
Digital display meters: Press the button until you see a number followed by “kWh”. Write down the numbers before the decimal point. Ignore any digits after it.
Economy 7 or Economy 10 meters: These have two readings. One marked “Low” or “Night” (your off-peak consumption) and one marked “Normal” or “Day” (your peak consumption). Submit both.
Dial meters: These are the old-fashioned ones with a row of clock-like dials. Read from left to right. For each dial, note the number the pointer has just passed. If a pointer sits directly on a number, check the dial to its right. If that one hasn’t passed zero yet, record the lower number on the first dial. Dial meters are becoming rare but some properties still have them.
How to read your gas meter
Gas meters display volume rather than energy. They’ll show a reading in either cubic metres (m³) or cubic feet (ft³). Just write down the numbers you see. Octopus handles the conversion to kWh on your bill using a standard formula based on the gas calorific value.
Imperial meters (cubic feet): Read the first four digits on the left of the display. Ignore any numbers in red or after a decimal point.
Metric meters (cubic metres): Read all the digits before the decimal point.
If you’re not sure which type you have, submit the number you see and Octopus will work it out. They know which meter type is registered at your property.
Estimated readings and why they matter
When Octopus doesn’t receive a reading (either from a smart meter or submitted manually), they estimate your usage. The estimate is based on your historical consumption patterns and typical seasonal behaviour. For example, they know most homes use more gas in January than July, so winter estimates are higher.
These estimates are usually in the right ballpark, but they can drift over time. If your actual usage is consistently higher or lower than the estimates, your account balance will be wrong until a real reading corrects it. When a real reading eventually comes in, Octopus recalculates. If estimates were too low, you’ll see a catch-up charge. Too high, and you’ll get a credit adjustment.
The simplest way to avoid surprises: submit a reading every month. It takes 30 seconds and keeps everything accurate.
Special situations
Moving house: Submit a final reading on the day you leave and a first reading on the day you arrive at the new property. Take a photo of the meter as evidence, just in case there’s a dispute later.
Switching tariffs: Submit a reading on the day of the switch. This gives a clean boundary between the old and new rates.
Solar panel installation: If you’re getting an export meter fitted alongside your solar panels, submit a reading on your import meter on installation day. The installer will record the export meter’s starting point.