How to read your gas meter

There are two types of gas meters – the imperial meter and the metric meter – that can measure gas consumption. Which meter you have may depend on when your house was built and if your gas usage is for a business or home.

• Gas imperial meter. This is an older type of meter, mostly still found in older homes and are slowly being phased out. They measure gas in cubic feet and have circular dials that you can use to read your meter.
• Gas metric meter. These meters are the most common type of gas meter, used by both residential and business customers. A metric meter measures gas in cubic meters and has a numbered digital display that records your gas usage.

The location of your gas meter will depend on a few different factors, such as the type of property you live in and when it was built. However, nearly all gas meters will be located outside, although depending on where you live, it can sometimes be found under the kitchen sink.

For standalone homes, you may find your gas meter on one of the outside walls of the house, or sometimes located on the front or back porch. For some apartments or townhouses, all the gas meters for the residents may be located in a central location; this may be out the front of the property, in the basement, car park or other segregated room.

There may be times when you need to read your own gas meter; for example, if your meter reader isn’t able to access your property and you receive an estimated bill. In this case, you may be able to submit your own gas meter reading.

• Odometer meters. If you have a basic meter with an odometer, you should read the black and white dials from left to right, including the zeros. If a dial is between numbers, record the lower number (e.g. if it lies between three and four, record three). You don’t need to read the numbers in red or numbers after the comma or decimal point.
• Digital meters. Similar to an odometer meter, read the numbers from left to right, including the zeros. But to record the number, move the decimal point two places to the right, and record all the numbers up until the new point (e.g. if your meter had 00023.413, record your gas meter reading as 0002341).

While you may use a smart meter for your electricity that can be read remotely, your gas meter will be recorded manually by meter readers that will send that data to your gas retailer. It’s important to have your meter accessible or your meter reader may be unable to take a reading. In that case, you may end up with an estimated bill based on your past usage instead.

If you live in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria or Western Australia, your gas meter number is known as the meter installation registration number (MIRN). In New South Wales, it’s known as the Delivery Point Identifier (DPI). You can typically find this number at the top of your gas bill or on your physical gas meter.

Your gas meter number is used by your gas retailer to:

• Identify the address they’re supplying gas to
• Establish what type of meter you have at the property
• Ensure that you’re being billed for your specific gas usage.

If you don’t currently have a gas meter, that may mean you aren’t connected to the gas mains pipeline or don’t have a service line installed. If you’re building your home, you should discuss installing a meter with your builder, and they’ll arrange for your gas meter installation and connection. Discuss your plans for gas appliances such as ovens or hot water systems, as these will need to be installed by a professional gas fitter.

If you’ve moved into a new, pre-built home, you may want to confirm with your distributor whether you’re already connected to the gas supply. If you aren’t already connected, you may be able to apply for a new gas connection through a gas retailer if there is a gas main available where you live.

LPG is bottled gas that you can use to power your gas appliances such as ovens, barbeques or gas hot water systems. With LPG for your home, you won’t be billed via a gas meter and don’t need to be connected to the gas mains. Instead, you can purchase LPG bottles at service stations when needed. Be aware that you can’t simply change between LPG and natural gas without getting your appliances professionally refitted as the two types of gas have different requirements.