It’s possible that...

• Your appliances are using more energy than you realise.
• Standing charges we also take from the credit on your meter.
• Some debt has built up on the meter.
• It’s winter, and you’re using more energy than you did during the summer.
• It’s possible (but very unlikely) that your meter is clocking your energy use too fast (find out more in the next section).

I think my meter might be clocking my gas or electricity use too fast – can you reset it?

It’s very unusual for meters to clock too fast. Over 80% of supposedly faulty meters that are tested are found to be working just fine.

We can carry out a Meter Accuracy Test (MAT), but we’ll need to send round an engineer. This will cost £138.32 for a gas meter, and £89.25 for an electricity meter, and we’ll ask you to pay the charge up front.

If your meter does turn out to be faulty we’ll refund the cost of the test.

The good news is you can do a couple of simple tests yourself, to see if a MAT is worthwhile.

Creep test (electricity)

Turn off your power at the fuse box and check if the electricity meter is still clocking consumption. It should have stopped, as no electricity is being used – so if it’s clocking, it probably is faulty. You’d still need to pay upfront for a Meter Accuracy Test, but we could say fairly confidently that you’ll get your money back when the engineer has completed the test.

Burns test (gas)

Start by turning off all your gas appliances and heating. Turn on one item, such as a single gas ring, and then watch the meter for a few minutes. For a single gas ring the meter should only clock a few kilowatt hours over the course of five minutes. Make a note of the amount the meter clocks up, and tell us the figures you’ve noted. We’ll be able to judge whether your meter’s working properly or not.

How can I monitor and control what I’m spending on energy?

If you want to find ways to use less energy, then a smart meter may have the answers.

If you’re an Boost PAYG customer you can have a smart meter installed free of charge. When our engineers are working in your area, we’ll be in touch to offer you an upgrade. We’ll need to ask you a few questions to make sure your home is suitable for smart meters first though.

Traditional prepayment meters can also show you quite a lot of information on their display screens. For example, your electricity meter shows you how much credit you have, your weekly charges, and the cost of each kWh of electricity. Your gas meter also provides data – such as your last top-up, how much of it went towards debt, and what you’re paying for your gas.