Help Articles: Meters and Readings

Mrkmtm · July 20, 2021, 10:38am

How do I submit a meter reading?? I keep clicking on the link to the ‘submit a meter reading’ on the help page on the topic but it just brings me to the community page here and tells me I’m signed in…?!

Niamh_at_Bulb · July 20, 2021, 11:43am

Hi @Mrkmtm,

Thanks for posting and welcome to community

I’m sorry about the issue with logging in. I’ve just sent you a password reset link. Please try logging in via that link, and you should then be able to add a reading

Any further issues, please let me know.

Many thanks,

Niamh

mjbeeston · July 26, 2021, 4:12pm

Hi Noah.

I have had to buy a replacement IHD for my first gen smart meters and need some help setting it up. It says I need to send you both the MPAN of both meters and the new Mac address of the IHD? Many thanks for your help on advance

CJ_at_Bulb · July 27, 2021, 10:09am

Hi @mjbeeston

Welcome to the Bulb Community

Where did you purchase the new IHD from? As these are technically the property of the supplier who installed the meter, they shouldn’t be sold second hand.

If you purchased the replacement from the meters’ installer we can provide the information needed, but you’d still probably need to switch to them to get it fully connected again.

siewassell · August 3, 2021, 11:12am

Looking to get a smart metre installed.
Can I get this booked please?

cara_at_bulb · August 3, 2021, 2:15pm

Hi @siewassell

We can definitely take a look into getting that booked. The best way would be if you give us a call on 0300 303 0635 so we can get the account details and check all is eligible.

Thanks,
Cara

AnaV · September 2, 2021, 4:56pm

Hello! My smart gas meter has stopped sending readings. I have look at the meter but it doesn’t seem to have a reset button or similar.

Thanks!
Ana

holly_at_bulb · September 3, 2021, 8:45am

Hey @AnaV

I’ve had a look at your account and we’re still receiving regular readings from your meter- it sounds like you mean your IHD? Is it the in home display that’s not showing the use on it?

AnaV · September 3, 2021, 9:02am

Hi, thank you very much.
I don’t use the IHD. I look online on my bulb account to see my usage. I was away from home for a while and when I came back, I noticed the electric readings re-started but the gas readings are the same as last time before I went away. I also looked at the gas meter, and it shows the same reading as last the last time I checked.
Thanks!

Daisy_at_Bulb · September 3, 2021, 2:19pm

Hi @AnaV,

We have been receiving smart readings from both your gas and electricity meter which show very small amounts of usage.

Are you in the property at the moment? And using both the electricity and gas? The gas doesn’t look to have been used since the 24.06.2021.

I can also see that your IHD has not been connected for a while. Would you be interested in setting this back up?

– Daisy

AnaV · September 3, 2021, 3:58pm

Hi,

Yes, I am at the property at the moment. I stopped using gas and electricity on 30th June, then I returned to my property on 17th August and re-started using electricity and gas in a very small amount, correct, but I have been using it since that date.

Re. the IHD, no thanks, I am happy by checking my usage every now and then on my profile at Bulb website.

Thanks,
Ana

megan_at_bulb · September 6, 2021, 9:35am

Hi @AnaV

I think it’d be worth doing a test on your gas meter to make sure it’s still working correctly.

It’s called a ‘burns test’:
– 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 then be able to judge whether your meter’s working properly or not.

– Meg

AnaV · September 7, 2021, 9:27am

Hi, thank you!
On my own initiative, I turned on the heating on 4th Sep and a higher charge of gas usage of 68 p. appeared on my Energy Usage section on my Bulb account. I have done it right now again and the reading has changed from 379.246 to 379.261.
However, I am not using the heating at all at the moment, only hot water in the bathroom, and every day the usage stays at the minimum of 26 p. (standing fees.) Is that OK? Could it be that my boiler uses electricity rather than gas to heat the water and hence my confusion? ie. I only use gas when I use the heating?

Thanks again!
Ana

holly_at_bulb · September 7, 2021, 2:52pm

Thanks @AnaV

I’ve had a look at the readings on the account and the Smart readings are recording 0 use-

So the fact that it only moved when you turned the heating on seems to show it is working fine. We still charge a standing charge even if the meter has 0 use so this would also seem right! The readings in the Bulb Account only load on the monthly billing date but we are still getting them regularly.

Let me know if you’re still unsure!

– H

AnaV · September 7, 2021, 6:37pm

Thank you!
I will continue to check it though, it seems to me that my gas meter used to reflect the usage of gas for hot water as well, not only heating.
I can see the readings in the Bulb account on a daily basis too

Ana

pl040884 · September 16, 2021, 4:51pm

Hello,
For several weeks at least my dashboard for gas (via website on computer) has been up and down regularly. I would attach an image but it seems new users aren’t allowed to! One day 23p, the next 63p, then 23p, 63p etc. I’m sure this can’t be correct. Our usage used to be very regular.
Thanks,
Philip

Robyn_at_Bulb · September 17, 2021, 10:23am

Hey @pl040884

I can see what you mean from looking at your usage on your account. As your monthly gas usage is so minimal, our system is trying to calculate it daily on the chart and it’s getting confused about what is being used per day.

Going into winter when your usage will become more regular, this will then change. The best way to see your gas usage over these summer months is via your statement.

Please do let us know if you have any more questions

– Robyn

pl040884 · September 17, 2021, 11:18am

Thanks for explaining, Robyn.

Pstevens1948 · October 2, 2021, 12:49pm

Non working smart meters. They have not worked for over a year nothing but estimated bills unless I send readings have just been told meters will not be replaced because the gas meter has recently sent a reading. However the fact that reading is obvious incorrect failed to register with you. Either the gas meter is running backwards or something is not working properly. According to my last statement it must have been done by a 5 year old because the figures just don’t add up.

Daisy_at_Bulb · October 7, 2021, 2:11pm

Hi @Pstevens1948,

Welcome to community Thanks for your post!

Sorry to hear your gas meter is not working as we would have hoped. I can now see the gas meter reading of 569 has been sent through this month from your meter indicating, as you say, it is not recording correctly.

Could you please send us an email to help@bulb.co.uk with a photo of your meter reading, so we can compare to the reading submitted. We would then register your faulty meter with our team and look to get this replaced for you.

Please let me know if you have any q’s

– Daisy